Memories of the Past: Meeting of Saito and Tokio
by Wacky Dragon
Summary: This is a story dedicated to Hajime Saitou. Just when Saitou meets Tokio (10 years before the RK series began). Their relationship grows throughout the story, but obstacles stand in the way! (I'm terrible at summeries) CHAPTER 7 is POSTED! Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1: Eyes of a Predator

Okay, I made this all up! I don't know how they met and all but this is how I dreamed them of meeting! Hope you like it!  
  
Memories of the Past: The Meeting of Hajime Saito and Tokio  
  
Chapter 1: The Eyes of a Predator  
  
Saito's Point of View (POV)  
  
I floated in heavy darkness...where was I? A dream? No...more like a nightmare...hearing the screams of the men I was fighting with...I remember...I remember....  
  
Flashback.........  
  
As the Shinsengumi's swords clashed against thier enemies, the sounds of chaos echoed through the woods.  
  
Suddenly there was loud gun shot that rang through the crisp winter air. The blood sprayed across the snow covered ground, Saito saw one of his men fall to the ground. Lifeless. Dead. He quickly averted his eyes away from his fallen friend and saw at least 7 men carrying rifles...guns.   
  
"Kill them all!!" the leader of the riflemen exclaimed.  
  
"Behind the trees!!" Saito yelled as he dove behind one of the many trees as the gunfire started. He saw two of his men fall to the ground, the others behind the trees as the bullets hit the trunks.  
  
"What do we do?!" one of the men yelled to Saito.  
  
"Retreat!" Saito said after a moment's hesitation. His pride urged him to fight, but his logic chose the safety of the men.   
  
The men went deeper into the forest, the gunfire still coming after them...then...silence...the only noise was the lake that was nearby.  
  
"Leader Hajime, what's going on? They stopped chasing us?" a warrior whispered to Saito.  
  
"I'm not sure...but they are still there." Saito narrowed his eyes cautiously.   
  
"How do you know? I'm sure they stopped following."   
  
"They are still there." Saito murmured firmly.  
  
Tip tip tip...  
  
Something bounced toward Saito and his handful of men...it was a...a...BOMB!!   
  
"EVERYONE DOWN---!!" Saito yelled, covering his face with arms, but it was too late...the bomb exploded, blinding him with a white and orange light.  
  
He heard his men scream in pain and surprise as he flew backwards from the explosion...he hit ground on his shoulder...he heard a loud crack and sharp pain ran up his arm. He slowly stood up, holding his sword with his left hand.   
  
"It seems that my right arm is broken...wonderful." Saito thought sarcastically. He could not fight with his left hand...he would die tonight...  
  
"Oh, well. I lived long enough." Saito murmured and shrugged as he took a step forward. He saw a shadow stumbling toward him. He shifted his sword in his hand awkwardly and prepared to fight, but...  
  
"H-Hajime!!" Masuma Yohiko, his long-time warrior friend, stumbled toward Saito.  
  
"Masuma, you're alive!!!" Saito whispered, cautious of the soilders with rifles that may hear them.  
  
"B-barely..." Yohiko murmured as he looked down at his leg that was bloody and had lost a lot of skin. Yohiko's right ear was missing...Saito saw and winced.  
  
"You're..you're badly injured. Is there anyone else alive? We have to hurry and get out of here---" Saito remarked, but...  
  
Yohiko slowly shook his head.  
  
"They're all...the bomb blew up and..." Yohiko's voice cracked, tears formed in his eyes.  
  
"Then...then we have to hurry and get out ourselves." Saito said, though the pain of his dead team members tore him apart, he was a Leader and he could not show any emotions at a time like this.  
  
"You get out," Yohiko said as he took out his sword and turned his back to Saito. "I'll hold off the other soilders."  
  
Saito swallowed and protested, "No, I order you not to! I won't let you die, understood?! You can't stay--!!"  
  
Yohiko looked over his shoulder, "I will obey you no more, Saito."  
  
Saito blinked.  
  
"You're not my Leader anymore...you're my friend now," Yohiko remarked and he forced a smile. "Tell my wife...tell Yukiko that I'll always love her...and to please name our daughter after the season I proposed to her."  
  
"Yohiko, stop talking like a moron and let's go--!" Saito said angrily, he hoped his voice didn't crack...  
  
"There's the rest of them! FIRE!!"   
  
Saito and Yohiko froze as they heard an enemy solider yell that.   
  
"Go!" Yohiko pushed Saito in the river.   
  
...Everything was in slow motion now...  
  
"Yahiko---!!" Saito yelled as he hit the water, the liquid drowning out the rest of his words. Just before the water flooded his vision, he saw the sword drop out of Yahiko's hand and crimson blood stained the crisp air.  
  
Floating in the darkness as I remember what happened...I felt emotions of regret, pain, anger and sorrow fill my soul...  
It was torturing me...  
Killing me...  
Before the darkness swallowed me up, I imagine the God of Death laughing at me...laughing at me because I lost my men and now I shall lose my life...I feel the bitterness bite into my heart like a wild, starved animal.  
Just to spite Death, I think to myself--  
--- Ha. I lived long enough...  
...I don't care if I die. See you soon, Death---I'm coming after you and I shall take revenge.  
Then the Darkness swallowed me.   
  
A woman in a lavender kimono with ebony black hair walked out into the night's darkness, going near the quiet stream. She saw the red maple leaves drifting downstream. She looked at her reflection, her hair was still in the fancy bun that was for the "wonderful party". The expensive sticks that held her bun began to irritate her scalp.  
  
"Damn him. Damn the party. Damn these...these sticks!" she said in frustration as she tore the sticks out of her hair. Her hair tumbled down to the middle of her back. She looked at the sticks like they were cursed and she tossed them in a shallow area with cat willows protruding from the water.  
  
"Damn...him..." she murmured, tears welled up in her eyes as she fell to the ground her her knees, letting out a sigh filled with the breath of sorrow and dispair.   
  
After a while of bitter, silent weeping she stood up, patting away any trace of tears and went to retrieve the sticks she tossed. They were expensive...and they weren't hers. She forgot that fact. She stepped in the wet, marshy-like area. She found two sticks that was made out of fine red cherrywood. She had two more to find...  
  
"Where are they...?" she searched until she tripped over something heavy. "Waahhh!" she fell face forward, but she thrust her hands in front of her and was arms-distance away from hitting the water face-forward. Nevertheless, she was WET and cold and WET WET WET...she stood and looked down and saw something red soaking her kimono...a distinct smell reached her nose.  
  
Blood.  
  
Her heartbeat quickened. She realized she tripped over a body.   
  
"Oh my God...!" she let out a breath, kneeling down and looked at the male's bloody kimono...it was...a costume...he...he belonged to that renegade Shinsengumi Group! He was lying on his back, dirty and bloody. His clothes were ripped and soaked in blood.  
  
"Mmm..." the body stirred. The woman stumbled away, sitting in the water. She stared at the face of the male, fear and worry reflected in her eyes. She did not want him to die, but...her eyes stared at the sword in its sheathe that hung on his waist.   
  
"How many men did you kill?" she murmured her question as she stared at his unconscious face. She drew in a sharp breath of courage and crawled toward him, soft sounds of water echoed through the silent night. She used her two fingers to find his pulse...she felt a a faint throbbing..he was still alive!  
  
Suddenly his eyes snapped open. The woman froze, staring at his eyes in a mixture of surprise, wonder and fear.   
  
His eyes were a beautiful yellow...they entranced her...  
  
"The eyes...of a predator." she thought.   
  
Saito's eyes locked onto the woman's brown eyes. The moonlight behind her made her glow, making her into a silent angel of the night. Her hair was down, highlighted by a faint silver halo by the moon and her eyes were like large, perfect almonds with chestnut colored eyes. She stared at him...he couldn't tell if she was afraid or shocked.  
  
"...you'll be all right. Just--just stay alive." the woman said, finally finding her voice.  
  
"... ...if only...it was that...easy..." Saito remarked, his voice hoarse.  
  
She stared at him, his words replaying her head. She promised to herself that she would not let this man die so easily. His eyes slowly closed.  
  
"Hey! No! Stay awake!!" the woman shook his shoulder, but his eyes closed and he was silent. She stared at his face, her eyes filled with concern now. "....s-sir? Please...open your eyes..." she swallowed. Why did she fear for this man's life so much...? She puzzled herself.   
  
"Leave me be, woman..." Saito said irritably, his eyes still closed.  
  
She gasped inwardly, thinking he was dead a few moments ago. Her concern melted into anger.  
  
"Err..damn men! They never listen to a woman and they're always ungrateful! I'll make sure you get well again just to spite you!" she promised him, looking around to see if anyone was around. "Now, get up!" she commanded as she stood up and pulled on his left arm. Seeing the condition of his right arm, she thought if she pulled it, it would most definately break off.   
  
"Get up!" she whispered urgently.  
  
Saito was still motionless.   
  
"If I ignore her, maybe she'll leave---" he thought, but...  
  
SMACK  
  
The woman gave Saito a sharp slap across the face.  
  
"Ow!" Saito yelped, opening his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I told you to get up. You don't expect me to CARRY you, do you?" the woman asked, almost mockingly.  
  
Saito pictured himself behind carried by the woman...a large sweat-drop rolled down his head. He'd be damned to let that happen!!!  
  
"... ..." Saito frowned in pain as he forced his legs to hold him upright. He slouched, but he felt the woman arm behind her shoulders and she supported him. As long as she wasn't carrying him, he was fine with himself and the pain.  
  
"My house is nearby, just try to walk and stay conscious a little while longer." the woman said to him.  
  
Saito found her voice to be soothing...it calmed his muscles and he was able to ignore the aching pain in his legs and knees. He walked slowly. He opened his eyes, they felt bruised, but he forced himself to look at the woman.   
  
She was looking straight forward, her arm around his waist to support him. She looked...determined. He could tell she was stubborn just by the look in her eyes. Her eyes turned toward him, looking at him.  
  
"Are you all right?" she asked, her voice sounded a bit distant now.  
  
"Oh, damn it. I think I'm losing consciousness...great..." Saito thought and tried to stay in focus...he was losing it...dark spots began to appear...  
  
SMACK  
  
She slapped him good and hard.  
  
"Ow!" Saito yelped, his eyes opened now, looking at the woman who continued to walk and slightly pull him along, supporting him as best she could with her one hand around his waist.  
  
"You needed it." she remarked.  
  
Saito blinked, but something made him smile, "...thank you..for the pain." he said to her.  
  
"The pleasure was mine, now keep walking, we're almost there." she remarked  
  
The two slowly walked to the house with a bamboo grove.  
  
Author's Note  
How'd y'all like it? Can you guess who the woman is? I'll keep on writing more chapters if you all like it just please REVIEW! Thanks! 


	2. Chapter 2: Trust

Chapter 2: Trust  
  
Saito staggered into the house just as she slid open the door. He fell on his knees. He coughed violently, his body shaking. However, he was polite enough to cover his mouth. The woman quickly looked outside, seeing if anyone heard. She quickly, yet quietly shut the door. She ran and got a cup of water. She knelt by him, handing him the cup.   
  
"Drink." she said gently.  
  
Saito gingerly held the delicate cup as his coughing slowly subsided. He stared at the water.  
  
"I half-drowned in a river. Do you think I need more water?" Saito asked sarcastically.  
  
She glared, but she couldn't help but smile inwardly.  
  
"I suppose that's right," she said. "Do you prefer tea?"  
  
"Hai," Saito nodded, shutting his eyes. He felt dizzy and lightheaded. "Please."  
  
"You're polite," she murmured. "for a Shinsengumi warrior." she added.  
  
"Nice of you to notice." he remarked.   
  
"I'll prepare a hot bath. Rest here." she took off before he could protest.  
  
Saito looked around the dark room. The moonlight poured through one window. He saw scrolls of poems hanging on the walls. He saw a picture of a phoenix flying down to earth. It was titled "sent grace and life".  
  
Saito wished he could escape...run back to his village hideout...no...he wished he could go back to the place where his men were shot...so he could give his men a proper burial....  
  
"Yohiko..." Saito murmured. Bitterness bit into him again.  
  
"Hey," a hand came upon his shoulder, a gentle voice startled him. He turned his head, his face inches away from the woman who previously helped him.  
  
"Come on. Take off your clothes and get into the hot bath. Take as long as you need--or as long as the hot water will last." she said, helping him up.   
  
"I don't have a change of clothes and I don't need a bath." Saito contradicted.  
  
"Stop being a tough guy. And you DO need a bath," she said, pushing him into the bathroom. She slightly closed the door. "I'll get you a change of clothes. But are you all right? Your wounds look bad...I'll get some bandages for you, too. Do you feel ill or---"   
  
"I'll be fine." Saito interrupted her irritably.  
  
The woman winced from his hard tone.  
  
"Gomen," she said sarcastically. "I shouldn't worry about a 'tough' guy like you. Your arrogance will heal you up in no time at all!" she shut the door, surprisingly she didn't slam it.  
  
Saito stripped off his bloody, tattered clothes and let his sword lean in one of the corners. He then sank into the hot water. His wounds stung, but he quickly got used to it. He closed his eyes, letting the hot water take him into quiet darkness.   
  
He remembered the painful yells from his men...the explosion...Yohiko sacraficing himself...  
  
~"You're not my Leader anymore...you're my friend now," Yohiko remarked and he forced a smile. "Tell my wife...tell Yukiko that I'll always love her...and to please name our daughter after the season I proposed to her."~  
  
Saito imagined Yukiko's expression when she would learn about her husband's death...she truly loved Yohiko and he truly loved her...they bound themselves in marriage only for a year...and Yohiko was now...dead...  
  
"I'm sorry..." he murmured, almost unknowingly. "I let everyone down..."   
  
His squad...  
  
His best friend Yohiko...  
  
And Yukiko and Yohiko's unborn daugher...  
  
The wounds on his back and his right arm began to sting painfully and throb.  
  
He did not care.  
  
********************  
  
The woman changed into a faded blue kimono to sleep in. The lavender kimono was stained with blood--she would have to get rid of it or burn it. She tied her hair into a braid and pulled it over her one shoulder. She took in a breath as went into her brother's room. She could smell the distinct scent of bamboo leaves...she looked around, seeing hand-made bamboo cages.  
  
They were all empty. Not one bird. Being in the room pained her, but she had to take his clothes. She slid open the closet and took out a brown man's kimono and pants. She quickly exited the room and shut the door, clutching the clothes to her breast.   
  
"Brother..." she murmured, shaking away threatening tears.  
  
She collected herself and walked toward the bathroom where that stranger was. She smiled at the irony... she would NEVER let a man into her home. Some offered their hand in marriage before---of course, she turned them all down. But now, there was a man she doesn't know in her home.   
  
"Probably a dangerous man..." she thought, remembering the Japanese sword hanging by his waist. She shook her head, ridding herself of these thoughts. He wouldn't kill her.  
  
Hopefully.  
  
Right now, he was just so darn irritating and ungrateful! Yet...there was something about him that made her excuse that. If another male did that to her, the next thing he'd see in the mirror is his black eye and swollen lip or cheek.  
  
She knocked on the door.  
  
"Yes?" his voice behind the door.  
  
"I brought you clothes," she answered, opening the sword a tad then threw in the clothes. "See if they fit."  
  
Saito frowned at the color. Brown was never his color. Oh well...  
  
  
After a while of waiting...   
  
"Are you done?" the woman tapped on the door.   
  
Silence...  
  
She felt worry fill her like water. What if he fell unconscious...? Bleeding...  
  
She slid open the door in a hurry. Her eyes fell on a figure that was leaning against the wall, in a sitting position. He was near the corner where his sword lay. He was dressed and sleeping. She stepped toward him, bandages in her one hand.  
  
She knelt by him, her eyes on the sword, then at him. For some reason...she...wasn't afraid of him...she stared at his face. for while, studying his features. He looked peaceful, sleeping...his cold, cynical fascade gone.  
  
She didn't want to wake his up, but...  
  
She reached over to his face...then flicked him with her finger on the nose.  
  
"Ow!" Saito jolted awake. He looked at the woman before him. Attractive features and determined, strong eyes.   
  
"Your wounds," she handed his the bandages. "need to be covered. I don't want to clean up anymore blood stains on my floor."   
  
Saito frowned as he took the bandages, "You're a considerate soul."  
  
"Heh," the woman just narrowed her eyes, taking that sarcastic insult as a compliment. "Thank you for noticing. Now bandage yourself up." she stood up. She went over and picked up his sword.  
  
"What are you doing?" he demanded, his sword his only trusted ally so he did not want to part with it.  
  
"Hiding it," she replied.  
  
"Why?" he narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Other people come to my house. If they see a sword, they may report me and both you and I shall be punished... or worse." she replied.  
  
She found the wounded man staring at her with distrust.  
  
The woman knelt down in front of him and sat down on her heels. Saito straightened his back, sitting against the wall.  
  
"Do you think I will cause harm to you, sir?" she asked, her eyes on his.  
  
"I don't know. Will you?" Saito demanded.  
  
"If I wanted to harm you, I would have done so at the lake you were in. I could have taken that sword and plunged it through your chest. That would have saved me from cleaning up your bloodstains in my house." she remarked.   
  
He stared silently.  
  
"But I did not kill you and I will continue not to kill you. Now if you will trust me, it will make everything easier. I'm one of the very, very few people you can trust in this god-forsaken village." she said.  
  
"How can I trust you?" he narrowed his eyes. "I don't know you...much less, I don't even know your name."  
  
She sat down, holding the sword out to him. He stared at her curiously, then at the sword she held out to him in her delicate-looking hands.  
  
"I am doomed to marry a man I hate and despise. My brother died a week ago. I am the only one left alive in my family and that makes me very vulnerable and that is why I am being forced to marry," she said softly. "...But no one knows that I am the only living family member left for sure. You must pretend to be my distant cousin."   
  
Saito nodded slowly.  
  
"I do not know your name either, you know." she remarked.  
  
They stared at each other in silence.   
  
"...Hajime Saito." Saito finally responded.  
  
"Takahime Tokio." the woman Tokio replied.  
  
An introduction long awaited finally was met between the two strangers.  
  
"I can kill you at any time." Saito remarked, clutching the sword with one hand that she held in both her hands for him. They both held the sword now. Tokio held a light grip on it, Saito held a firm grip.  
  
"I know that," Tokio murmured, she stared at him strongly. "But I trust you will not."  
  
Saito stared at her, seeing if it was a lie or if she would flinch away. But...she did not.   
  
He then softly let go of his blade. She held it in her hands as he leaned away and rested against the wall in the bathroom.  
  
"Hid the sword. I don't need any trouble from brainless villagers--I'm too tired for it right now." Saito remarked.  
  
Tokio stood up and turned away, clutching onto the blade. Saito could not see her smile. She didn't know why she felt over-whelming happiness.   
  
She understood his subtle words.  
  
He trusted her.   
  
She walked away and slid open the door to hide the sword away.  
  
"Miss. Tokio."  
  
Tokio stopped and turned around.  
  
"Later tonight, could you help me with the bandages? I received some damage on my back and..." Saito asked, feeling a bit awkward to ask for help.  
  
"I'll be right back." Tokio nodded and left.  
  
A stranger's trust.  
  
His trust.  
  
For some reason...  
  
It meant a great deal to her. She wrapped the sword in her kimono and put on the bottom drawer.   
  
She went back, seeing that Saito was shirtless as he wrapped the white gauze on his his right arm's wounds.  
  
"Your arm looks broken." Tokio remarked as she knelt by him.  
  
"It feels that way." he remarked.  
  
"Let me." Tokio took the bandage roll away. She knelt forward, she saw him tense.  
  
"Relax, will you? Trust me, I know what I'm doing." Tokio said.  
  
Saito relaxed slowly. He looked at her, staring at her intense concentration as she wrapped here and there.  
  
"Why is she helping me? There won't be any benefit in her favor..." he thought. "Why...? Just the good of a human heart? ...ha. No way." he thought. But for some reason...he believed differently about her...  
  
"Done." she said.   
  
Saito saw that it was in a sling. A neat one.  
  
"Well, what do you know? You actually KNEW what you were doing." Saito said.  
  
"Ha ha ha," Tokio rolled her eyes. "Let me see your back."   
  
Saito pushed himself off the wall and shifted around.  
  
"I hope you don't mind blood." Saito said.  
  
"I don't."  
  
"Good," he said. "then I trust you won't faint."  
  
He turned around completely, his back to her. Tokio slightly gasped, seeing deep gashes here and there...it looked painful. Very painful.   
  
"You don't have to help, of course. You know that." Saito remarked. He thought she'd leave, but he felt a warm cloth being patted on his back.  
  
"I need to clean the wounds first...tomorrow, I'll need to get some kind of disinfectant...it would be bad if these got infected. I don't think you know how bad it is." she remarked.  
  
"I probably don't know how bad it is," he agreed. "And I don't want to know."  
  
She smiled, her hands working their healing magic.  
  
Saito dozed off, he struggled to stay awake. He knew the woman was experienced and he was glad for it. He wanted to thank her, but...he felt so awkward...  
  
She started to wrap the white gauze around his back, her hand brushing against his chest as she reached over and tied back around and around. Saito felt something in his chest flutter...what could that be? Was he ill?  
  
When she was finally done...  
  
"There! Phew...I'll need a lot more bandages...I didn't even cover all of them..." Tokio murmured as she stood up.  
  
Saito felt like a mummy.  
  
"It feels like more than enough." Saito frowned.  
  
Tokio giggled, "You remind me of a doll I used to have."  
  
"...how nice," Saito mumbled, but he couldn't help but smile. "Me. A doll. Imagine that."  
  
Tokio was about to say something, but suddenly their was a knock at the door. She gasped inwardly, turning around. Someone was at the front door. But..who? At this late hour...?  
  
She glanced at Saito.   
  
"Tokio, honey! Are you there? Where are you hiding to?"   
  
Tokio took a step back, her face pale and her hands in fists.   
  
"You have to hide." she whispered to Saito urgently, her hands on his shoulders.  
  
"Who is it---?" he whispered.  
  
"...my fiance." she whispered, her heart beating faster.  
  
  
  
~~please review! I'll put the next chapter up as soon as possible!~~ 


	3. Chapter 3: Found Out

Chapter 3: Found out  
  
  
Tokio didn't breathe, couldn't breathe...  
  
"Why are you so worried?" Saito asked, almost carelessly  
  
Tokio faultered. She turned around, glaring at her guest.  
  
"If he sees you, he'll KILL you!" she whispered harshly.  
  
Saito snorted, "I wouldn't place a bet on that."  
  
"You do NOT understand! He---" Tokio growled.  
  
"Tokio, I know you're there!! I suppose I'll have to come after you myself!!" the voice sounded impatient. Tokio heard the door slid open and footsteps coming inside her house.   
  
Saito saw the color drain from her face. Her hands, that were on his shoulders, grasped him tightly. She was very nervous, he noticed. He shrugged, he might as well cope with her to calm her down.  
  
"Stall him." Saito whispered to her ear.  
  
"Wha---?" Tokio glanced at him, but Saito shook his head, silencing her.  
  
"Just do it." he mouthed to her.  
  
She nodded and turned away from him, opening the bathroom door. She quickly exited and closed the door. She turned around and---  
  
"Ahhhh!" Tokio let out a shriek.  
  
Saito took a step forward in worry, his hands in fists as he was ready to go through the door. He stopped when he heard a voice---  
  
"There you are." a handsome male with dark blue hair and gray eyes looked at her.   
  
Tokio had a hand to her chest, as if to keep her heart in place. He appeared out of nowhere. She wondered if he saw Saito...  
  
Tokio cleared her throat, closing her eyes and taking in a breath...then she snapped up her head to look at HIM and glared with her sharp eyes.  
  
"Don't you ever sneak up on me like that again!!! And I did not allow you to come into my home." Tokio said through her clenched teeth.  
  
"Well, you didn't answer...and since you disappeared from the party--I wondered where you wandered off to. I can't help worrying about my pretty fiancee," he remarked with a charming smile.  
  
Tokio looked annoyed. His smile faded and was replaced with hopeless annoyance.  
  
"...and why are you back here?" he asked. Tokio saw his eyes slightly narrow in suspicion.  
  
"I wasn't feeling well," Tokio replied. "I drank too much rice sake, I suppose."  
  
"I see..." he nodded slightly.  
  
"Is that all?" Tokio asked, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Well, I guess so---" he responded.  
  
"Okay," she cut him off. "Now get out of my home."  
  
He pretended to look hurt.  
  
"Tokio dear, are you that disgusted with my presence?"   
  
"Yes." she answered bluntly.  
  
"You're such a charm," he smirked, taking a step forward.  
  
She stepped back, pressing her back against the door.   
  
"No touching." she glared.  
  
"All right...if that's what you wish." he shrugged his shoulders. "It's your loss."  
  
Tokio rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "I'm sure it is. Get out. My bath is getting cold."  
  
"At least give me a goodnight kiss," he requested. "you're my fiancee after all." he leaned forward, his lips inches away from her lips...  
  
Tokio moved her face to the side, his lips pressed against her cheek. He moved away, frowning in disappointment and frustration.  
  
"No touching---that includes kissing." Tokio remarked. "We are not married."  
  
"Yet," he corrected. "We're not married yet. And I'm losing my patience with you, dear Tokio." he said in a low voice.  
  
"Really? I seem to have already lost mine with you," she retorted coldly. "You know where the door to my house is---now for the third time, please get out." she put emphasis on her words.  
  
"Fine," he slightly glared. "But, just to make sure..."  
  
He reached his hand over to her...If he touched her, Tokio curled her hand into a fist, she'd make sure he'd regret it.   
  
He reached past her, she blinked. He quickly slid the door open forcefully and she fell back from the lack of support, she gasped. But his arm grabbed her around the waist and pulled her slender form against his body.  
  
"Saito!" Tokio thought frantically as she looked up her fiance's face in hidden terror. His gray eyes searched the bathroom.   
  
Tokio shoved him away, almost falling in the semi-steaming hot bath. She balanced herself, then glared at HIM.  
  
"How d-dare you!!" she yelled, her voice shaking, not in shock, but in worry and fear as she wondered if he found Saito hiding somewhere...  
  
"I was just checking if anyone accompanied you home," he turned away, looked over his shoulder and smirked at Tokio. He took slow, fluid steps toward the bathroom door. "You can never be too safe these days. There are many..dangerous..people in this era." he stared at her before turning away again.  
  
Tokio was glaring furiously, "And ironically, I'm forced to marry one of them." each word was filled with poison.  
  
"I'll see you later, Tokio dear." he smirked.  
  
Tokio stomped over to him and shoved him out of the bathroom. She saw him stumble out and she slid the door shut with a sharp slam.  
  
"I suggest you stay away from me for as long as possible!!" Tokio yelled from behind the door.  
  
She heard him laugh aloud. Tokio leaned her head against the door, not breathing at all. She listened to his footsteps and the front door slid shut. She let out a breath at last.  
  
She turned around, seeing an empty bathroom.  
  
"Saito...?" she murmured. She looked at every corner twice..suddenly---The water ripped and Saito emerged from the water. He breathed deeply from holding his breath for so long.  
  
Tokio stared at his face, water dripped from his head and down to his chin. His bangs were plastered to his face. He got out of the bath, his brown clothes dripping wet and the bandages soaked.  
  
"You can lie quite well," he remarked.  
  
"It's a gift I was born with." Tokio said.  
  
Saito arched his eyebrow.  
  
"Nice hiding place." Tokio remarked impassively, yet she WAS impressed.  
  
"Resourceful, aren't I?" Saito smirked.  
  
"Yes...For an idiot." Tokio replied with a small smile.  
  
"Hmph. I understand...You're just jealous," Saito remarked.  
  
"And YOU'RE wet," Tokio said. "And I don't have anymore bandages."   
  
"Well, then..." Saito paused, looking at the heavy, saggy brown pants he wore. "I suppose you'll have to clean up more bloodstains."  
  
Tokio couldn't help but smile, but she turned away before he could see.  
  
"I'll get your bed ready." she walked off, her legs still a little weak.  
  
******************************  
  
Tokio woke up extra early in the morning. She dressed in a plain gray kimono with brown leaves decorated on the sleeves and twisted her hair up in a bun that was held in place by cherrywood hair-sticks. She quietly made her way out the door and went into town and went into Mrs. Yakukawa Kaede's pharmacist shop.  
  
"Good morning, Miss. Tokio!" the elderly woman smiled warmly.  
  
Tokio smiled back and bowed politely, "You still wake up earlier than anyone else in this town, Mrs. Yakukawa."  
  
Kaede beamed proudly, "Well, you never know when someone may get hurt, so I must be ready for anyone. Anyway, dear, what is it that you need?"  
  
"4 rolls of white gauze and disinfectant please," Tokio responded as she looked at all the different medicines in her stores.   
  
Kaede nodded, going in the back, "I'll get this new, improved one just for you!"  
  
Tokio waited patiently, thinking about that Hajime Saito character...he's very stealthy, composed and serious, she thought. He reminded her of a wolf...especially those eyes of his.   
  
"Such a vivid yellow..." she thought. However...  
  
"He's cynical, cold, distant and obviously arrogant of his sword skills," Tokio thought and let out a frustrated sigh. He would be difficult to live with--that was obvious.  
  
"Here you are," Kaede came back and showed Tokio white gauze and a bottle of disinfectant. "I'll just wrap it up for you to carry home..." she turned around.  
  
"Oh," Tokio said. "Could you get me a larger bottle of this disinfectant?"  
  
Kaede looked at Tokio closely, looking up and down.  
  
Tokio sweat-dropped at Kaede's stare, "Something wrong, Mrs. Yakukawa?"  
  
"You don't seem to have any injuries...no cuts or bruises on your skin..." Kaede murmured, her lips slightly twisting in a curious, sly smile. "Are these bandages for..someone else?"  
  
Tokio blinked and swallowed, "Well---not really--I mean--yes---NO! I--um..." she rambled on. She could lie to anyone---except Yakukawa Kaede who was like a mother to her. "--and and and, a-anyway, I'm very clumsy and well..you know..."   
  
Kaede laughed, "Now, now, calm yourself, dear. I just ran out of Calming medicine. Now then, I'll just get you another bigger bottle." she turned away.  
  
"...are you going to mention this..to anyone..?" Tokio asked slowly and quietly.  
  
"Why should I? What is there to talk about? All you want is disinfectant---I knew you ever since you were a little child. Climbing trees, doing hard household chores, and fighting with boys instead of charming them," she laughed heartily. "...being such a pert tomboy, you always got a few cuts and bruises now and then..." she murmured as she replaced the small bottle.   
  
Kaede wrapped the white gauze and larger bottle of disinfectant in paper. She handed the package to Tokio.  
  
"I know you've grown up to be a nice, fine young woman, Tokio. But I also know your stubborn ways and wits have also grown," Kaede remarked with a gentle smile, she put a hand on Tokio's cheek. "I know you must have inherited your mother's sharp, clever tongue."  
  
Tokio smiled meekly, slightly bowing her head down, holding the package against her breast.  
  
"And I also know you are not clumsy," the wise woman added, slowly withdrawing her hand.  
  
Tokio swallowed. She couldn't believe that her secret was slipped from her so quickly. She sighed and closed her eyes, bowing her head down. She could not keep anything from Kaede.   
  
"Please...no more brooding upon it...please." Tokio whispered pleadingly as she placed the money in Kaede's hand. Kaede nodded, a sad frown on her face.  
  
"You're too independant, my dear..." Kaede murmured.  
  
Tokio turned around and walked toward the door. How she wished to tell Yakukawa Kaede...her heart felt heavy to keep secrets from her.  
  
"If anything was to happen... I hope you and your injured friend know where to come to." Kaede said.  
  
Tokio closed her eyes, not looking back at the kind elderly woman. Tokio shook her head.  
  
"I can take of everything," Tokio murmured and left. "Everything..."  
  
"If Saito was found out...my damned fiance would not punish me not my hurting me...he'd kill those around me...including Kaede and Saito and any one else that gets involved." Tokio thought.  
  
As she went home, she thought the same thing over and over again.  
  
"I won't let anyone else get hurt because of me." she repeated her mantra over and over.   
  
******************  
  
"Mr. Saito?" Tokio knocked on the door to the guest room.  
  
Silence...  
  
Tokio frowned, both in curiousity and worry. She slid open the door and saw it was empty...she looked around, seeing that the brown kimono and pants were discarded on the floor.   
  
"Maybe he's in the courtyard or bathroom. Oh, well, I'm sure I'll run into him later." Tokio thought and shrugged. She slid the door shut, turned around and---  
  
Tokio gasped and pressed herself against the door.  
  
"Where did you go?" Saito asked.  
  
"D-DON'T SNEAK UP ON ME!!" Tokio glared daggers, swords, and needles at him. She noticed that he was wearing her brother's blue kimono and pants that she gave him.  
  
Saito smirked, amused by her anger. She had a lot of nerve for a woman, he noted.  
  
"I'm starved. I didn't know where you kept the spices or rice in your kitchen," Saito turned away and walked toward the kitchen. "So I couldn't cook anything for myself."  
  
"You...You cook?" Tokio blinked, surprised. She never knew any male who could cook---except her brother.  
  
"Unlike everyone else you know, I am not a moron," Saito frowned at her. "Rather, you should be respecting me in some ways."  
  
Tokio smirked, "Well, you'll have to earn any sort of respect from me---so far, I see you as a cynical, snappish and pompous man."   
  
"And I see you as a sharp, quick-tempered, and hard-headed woman, who acts more like a man than a woman." Saito retorted.  
  
Tokio's eyes narrowed and retorted, "Just because I'm a woman, doesn't mean anything. Even if I am more than a man than YOU, don't be upset. I don't want your male ego to get hurt." she said sarcastically.   
  
"...I don't think I'm going to enjoy this stay here." Saito frowned.  
  
"I never said anything about your stay being a pleasant one, Cousin Saito." Tokio remarked, mocking him.   
  
"I have to pretend to be related to you...I couldn't get any lower now." Saito mumbled as they entered the kitchen.   
  
Tokio glared, "I'll ignore that--Remember what I say..try to stick this in that little brain of yours---"  
  
Saito glared. He hated for his intellect to be ridiculed.  
  
"---you are my cousin from Osaka. You were a fisherman, but your boat was destroyed in a storm and now you are temorarily living with me because of finacial problems. Understood?" Tokio finished firmly.  
  
"I'll 'try' to remember all that," Saito said sarcastically. He saw Tokio holding a package. "What is that?" he pointed to it.  
  
"Oh--this is the bandages and disinfectant for your wounds and..." Tokio looked at Saito's arm. He understood her stare.  
  
"My arm isn't broken--just sprained or fractured. Nothing serious." Saito remarked carelessly as he sat on the floor, grabbed an apple from the table and bit into the sweet, crunchy fruit.  
  
"Still. You need to be gentle with it," Tokio said as she sat near him, unwrapping the package. "I don't want to buy any more medical supplies than I need for YOU."  
  
Saito smiled inwardly. That Tokio woman seemed very blunt (which she proved to be last night with her fiance) and she seemed very insecure with him and cold...yet..there was just something about her he couldn't explain...  
  
"Hmm..." Tokio slightly tilted her head, looking at the rolls of white gauze.  
  
"Something wrong? Did you buy the wrong items---I wouldn't really be that surprised." Saito said.  
  
Tokio glared at his mockery. He saw her and smirked and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"No," Tokio snapped. She looked at the 6 rolls of white gauze---she only asked for 4 rolls...  
  
~"If anything was to happen...I hope you and your injured friend knows where to come to."~  
  
"...thank you." Tokio murmured with a small smile, remembering Kaede's words.  
  
"For what? If I did anything pleasant for you....I certainly did not INTENTIONALLY mean to." Saito said.  
  
"...I did not mean YOU!" Tokio replied, rolling her eyes at him. "It's just that I have a few friends that can help you and I."  
  
"I don't really need too much help--I rather not interact with your friends...knowing you is MORE than enough." Saito said, biting into the apple again. He chewed and was about to bite into the apple again but...  
  
Tokio glared, snatching the apple from his hand and he bit nothing but air. Saito stared at her, then at the apple, then at her again. He arched his eyebrow. He couldn't believe she did that.  
  
"You're hungry, yes?" Tokio asked, as she rotated the apple and bit into the side where he didn't bite into.   
  
Saito glared, "Yes--that WAS the reason why I chose to eat the apple--which you are eating now."  
  
Tokio smiled, biting into the apple calmly, "Well, you'll have to get dinner. There's a stream nearby---go catch a fish for the both of us."   
  
Saito glared harder, hoping to make her feel intimidated as he made his own men feel.  
  
She just smiled and pointed to the closet, "The fishing pole is in there. It's a fine day to fish, isn't it?"  
  
"... ..." Saito frowned.  
  
"I can live without eating for a day---I don't know about you though. Well...ja ne." Tokio stood up and back to her daily chores.   
  
Saito stared at the floor. Tokio was mocking him...he contemplated...  
  
To fish...or not to fish?   
  
"I will not let her win!" Saito thought, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
... ... ... ...  
  
Later that day, a disgruntled Saito sat on the side of the lake, a fishing pole in his hand.  
  
"Damn woman," Saito thought, clenching his teeth, almost cracking the rod in his hand.   
  
"Impolite, cruel, sarcastic---" he mumbled on.  
  
  
"---cynical, ungrateful, idiotic---!" Tokio thought as she scrubbed the floor furiously to get the bloodstains out.  
  
  
"---woman!" Saito thought, pulling the fish out of the water forcefully, glaring at the fish dangling on the hook.  
  
  
"---man!" Tokio thought, scrubbing harder than ever.  
  
  
The first week was hell...  
  
"You're such an idiot!! You almost gave away your identity!!" Tokio exclaimed, glaring furiously.  
  
"Those idiotic friends of yours don't know why the Shinsengumi do what they do! They were calling my group brainless, futile paramours! You expect me not to say something?" Saito crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
"Well, you didn't have to beat the guy up! He's going to have that black eye for weeks!!" Tokio said. "Now we're never allowed to go to that store!"  
  
Saito just shrugged his shoulders, smiling.  
  
The second week was moderate torture....  
  
"Give me my sword---I think I'll end the lives of those morons." Saito growled. He really hated most of the people in the village. They reminded him of rich, arrogant, ignorant imperialists.  
  
"NO!" Tokio replied.  
  
"Why not?" Saito frowned, almost looking like a pouting child.  
  
"Because you can't just do that!" Tokio responded, half-smiling. She knew Saito wouldn't just kill someone just out of their idiocy.  
  
"I'll kill your fiance if you let me have my sword back." Saito bribed.  
  
"MR. SAITO!"   
  
"I was simply just jesting...sort of." Saito remarked. "Hmph..."  
  
And the third week.......we'll save the details for the next chapter. ^_~   
  
  
Please review and sorry for taking so long to write and thank you for reading!!! And I know Saito is out of character...gomen! Please no flames. 


	4. Chapter 4: Sorrow and Hatred let loose

Chapter 4: Sorrow and Hatred let loose  
  
This was the third week that Saito was with Tokio...not as bad as the other weeks. Their communication wasn't as spiteful---there was improvement---amazingly...  
  
  
Takahime Tokio and Hajime Saito walked on the pathway back to home, they just finished shopping in town.  
  
"I cannot wait till I leave this blasted town," Saito growled under his breath. "I know I will experience joy that cannot be expressed when I leave here."  
  
Tokio giggled at his frustration. The people he met so far weren't very..pleasant at all---but...  
  
"You made it worse by GLARING at them all the time!" Tokio remarked, not able to contain her laughter.  
  
"I don't know what you find so funny," Saito remarked stiffly. "I don't even know how you can stand living here."  
  
"I don't know either...I don't really have much of a chance by leaving unfortunately..." Tokio said softly, casting her eyes down to the ground. She saw Saito look at her.  
  
"Would you leave, if you could?" he asked.  
  
"To get away from here...from this place...from my fiance...OF COURSE, I would leave!!" Tokio exclaimed.  
  
Saito wondered about Tokio's fiance. All he knew about this fiance was that women flocked around him. Saito immediately did not like him, he did not trust men that had women swoon over them--they were usually rich and very corrupt to obtain that skill. Tokio obviously hated her fiance...  
  
"Your fiance is a pompous fool." Saito remarked out of the blue.  
  
Tokio blinked, then laughed, "When did you notice that? I thought it was obvious..."  
  
"I never talked to him," Saito said. "So I really don't know what kind of person he is---but I, of course, am a good observer, so I just know he's a pompous fool." he smirked at her.  
  
"Oh, and WHO'S pompous?" Tokio looked at him, quirking her eyebrow at him.   
  
"Are you implying that I am arrogant?" Saito asked, as if it was a challenge.  
  
"Of course." she answered bluntly.  
  
He smiled, "Well, I probably was influenced by you." he saw her glare at him playfully. He continued, "I may be arrogant---but I'm not a fool. Your fiance is a fool no doubt." he said with utter certainty.  
  
"And why do you say that?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Because he's crazy enough to marry you willingly." Saito replied.  
  
"Ha ha ha, very funny." Tokio said sarcastically.  
  
"Actually, I was being quite serious," Saito remarked, looking at her from the corner of his eyes, smirking mockingly. "To marry someone so quick-tempered, stubborn, cynical, cruel and---"  
  
"I get the idea." Tokio glared.  
  
"Heh, well, the truth is the truth."  
  
"I'd call you the PERFECT moron, but...I don't want to compliment you." Tokio quipped, walking ahead.  
  
Saito arched an eyebrow at her, imagining her mocking smile.   
  
"I'll let you go on that one," he said. "I might as well let you win a few repitores."  
  
"Thank you. I appreciate it so much," Tokio said sarcatically, but she was smiling, informing Saito it was all play.  
  
"I wonder why you hate your fiance so much. It'll be hard to get married to him---you are making it harder on yourself," Saito remarked. "Why do you hate him? Beside the fact that he is an idiot."  
  
"...there are too many...it's just...oh, it's just complicated, Mr. Saito," Tokio answered quietly, not able to explain in complete sentences. "I do not think you'll...understand..."  
  
Silence.  
  
Tokio was so silent that Saito understood what happened was most likely hurting her. He did not continue.  
  
Tokio cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the silent atmosphere, "I bought a special spice---can you please go catch a fish? I'll make a special dinner tonight." she asked.   
  
He nodded silently.  
  
Saito noticed that Tokio treated him with more respect...well, she had better! He worked hard trying not to get her TOO annoyed---and he treated her better as well. So things actually were running smoothly...amazingly. It was some sort of miracle, of course.  
  
Also, he taught her a few things in cooking--which sometimes he surprised her so much that she clapped her hands together and smiled in delight. He remember those smiles well.  
  
Tokio walked toward the porch and he walked around the house, grabbing the fish rod and materials that leaned against the corner of the house. He headed for the stream.  
  
Tokio stopped, watching him go...she was lost in thought...  
  
Every time..every time he laughed or smiled, even if he was mocking her, she felt so...comfortable with him...so..tranquil and easy...her true self...he always made her smile, but she always tried to hide it from him. Why? Why was she trying to be so reserved around him? Why was she so comfortable yet insecure?  
  
Why did she always feel a flutter in her chest when she saw his wolf-like smile and eyes? Was it because...because she...could...have...feelings...for...  
  
"NO! No no no no no!" she stopped herself.  
  
She blushed wildly and immediately shook the thoughs from her head. She shifted the heavy package of food and new clothes on her arms. She walked on the large, flat stones leading to her door. The door slid open before she set foot on the first porch step. She froze.  
  
"Hello, Tokio dear." her fiance greeted.  
  
Tokio stood there, looking at cobalt blue hair gleaming in the afternoon sun and the steel gray eyes shimmering.   
  
"What are you doing in my house?" Tokio's eyes narrowed, looking at her uninvited guest--her fiance.   
  
"Just thought I'd visit---I haven't seen you in quite a while. I was away on business." he remarked.  
  
Tokio walked forward and moved around him, glaring at him before she walked toward the kitchen, "Oh? Who did you bribe or kill this time?" she asked coldly.  
  
She could feel his gray eyes bore into the back of her head.  
  
"Not very funny, Tokio dear," he said in a low voice.  
  
She knew he was angry...when he called her 'Tokio dear' instead of 'dear Tokio'.  
  
"I was not trying to be funny." Tokio remarked, setting the food and clothing down. She turned around to face him, not trusting to put her back to him. Instead of seeing all of him at a distnace, she only saw his chest and neck. He was so close...too close.  
  
She stepped back, surprised how quickly and quietly he could move.   
  
"I hope you haven't forgotten that our wedding in only a week away." he remarked, his gray eyes studying the features of her face.  
  
Tokio felt her hand twitch. She HAD forgotten. Tokio cursed in thought.   
  
"I can't say I was looking forward to it." Tokio said spitefully.  
  
"Heh, you'll be my wife soon---my life partner and of course, my lover. You WILL have to live and cooperate with me." he said, his eyes trailing from her face, down her slender figure.  
  
"No. No, I won't. I'll live in total misery with you!! ---I plan to make your life as horrible as possible. I swear that and only that to you." she said maliciously.   
  
"Oh, don't be so spiteful, Tokio honey! Anyways, you'll break down eventually---we have many, MANY years ahead of us." he smiled, his gray eyes cold.  
  
Tokio felt shivers of digust and fear trail up and down her spine.  
  
"Out. Get out." Tokio said coldly.  
  
"You know, Tokio...you don't seem to be as beautiful at the other women I know." he remarked.  
  
"You mean those whores? Good. I'm proud to be the exact opposite of THEM, even if I'm ugly as can be." Tokio spat.   
  
He ignored what she said and continued, "Your plain dark hair and dark eyes. Not very appealing."  
  
Tokio glared, wishing he would go away, leave her alone forever and dig himself a grave...she wished for all that...she also wished Saito was here...  
  
"But..." he stared at her intently, making her feel uncomfortable. "If anyone looks close enough, they'll see your black silken hair, deep, crystalline brown eyes and flawless ivory skin...defined facial figure, proportional eyes and tempting lips...slender, curvacious figure...and it's all naturally YOU. That's your secret and I figured it out."  
  
Tokio swallowed. She felt nausea. She stepped back, feeling the small table against her calves muscles.   
  
"Shut up." Tokio whispered. "Get away from me."  
  
"You're like a complicated poem, Tokio...that's what is so special about you--and I'll be able to claim you after our wedding," his eyes gleamed.  
  
Tokio glared in disgust, "I do not approve of suicide at all---but I'm beginning to really consider it."  
  
"Oh, if you kill yourself or do anything inappropriate--you know the consenquences...the misfortune that fell upon your brother---" he said, but...  
  
Tokio slapped him across the face, the sound of the slap was sharp and clear, breaking off any words that would have continued from his mouth.  
  
"Shut up! Do not threaten me, Lei," Tokio said in a low voice, her eyes narrowed in dangerous slits. "And do not speak of my brother. You don't deserve to and I don't want his name to be said through YOUR lips---you trecherous, demonic, cold-blooded, two-faced----"  
  
"I understand what you mean." he cut her off, speaking in a dangerous, low voice. He turned his face back, facing her, feeling the sting of her hand. His cheek was marked red.  
  
"---snake." Tokio finished diliberately, her voice like the coldest ice.  
  
"Just because you blame your brother's death on me, don't let it get in the way of my---I mean, ..OUR happiness." he said in a cold voice.  
  
"You killed him! I knew it for a long time now--I regret ever minute I let you live! He died in agony because of you!" Tokio bursted out, the pain and sorrow flooding every cell, stinging her eyes with tears.   
  
He glared, "You don't know anything---"  
  
She cut him off, "I DO know! You think I'm so dense...you're the idiot!! You're the snake that poisoned him---!!" suddenly she was roughly pulled against him, feeling his tight grip on her wrists.  
  
He had pulled her against him, seeing fear and shock in her eyes. He smiled, taking pleasure in it. Tokio turned away to run, but he spun her around and pushed her against the wooden wall, his lips pressed hard against hers, giving her a bruising kiss.   
  
He felt her whole body tense, he had his eyes closed but he imagined her shocked, fearful expression still there. He smiled through the kiss  
  
Tokio struggled as best she could, but he had her arms pinned to her sides and her kimono restricted her from kneeing him somewhere personal. She felt his kiss release from her lips, she was slightly breathless, gasping for air. She then felt his lips trailed down her neck, his hot, lusty breath stinging her skin.  
  
Tokio instictively let out the loudest scream she ever produced, in utter shock and fear that he was doing this to her. He silenced her with another bruising, suffocating kiss. Tears sprang from her eyes and slid down her cheeks.   
  
**************************  
  
Just before Saito disappeared behind the bamboo grove, he thought he heard a woman scream. He stopped, whirling around.   
  
He frowned, thinking. The town was a distance away..and the only house nearby right was the Takahime Residence... ....  
  
"Tokio!!" Saito's eyes widened, dropping the fishing equipment and sprinted back to the house, his heart racing at inhuman speed.  
  
**************************  
  
His grip around her tightened, kissing her sweet, satin lips hungrily. He tasted her salty tears as she tried to get free. He pulled away from her, letting her breathe for a moment. He looked at the tears sliding down her cheeks, her brown eyes reflecting negative emotions such as fear, revolt, and hate...  
  
He smiled. To Tokio, it was the smile of a demon.  
  
"You taste good," he smirked.   
  
Tokio couldn't speak, the tears were choking her. Her lips trembled as she clenched her jaw together. She twisted her head away just as he was about to kiss her again, his lips pressed against her cheek.  
  
"You have a bad habit of doing that." he growled against her ear.  
  
She yelped when he squeezed her wrists harder---her fingers alredy felt numb. His icy gray eyes locked onto her brown, tearful eyes then---  
  
The door slid open with so much force that a loud crack made Tokio's fiance jump from being startled. Tokio gasped, yet her spirits lifted when she saw her wolf-like friend. Saito's piercing yellow eyes shot incredibly sharp swords at the man holding Tokio against her will.  
  
"What. Are. You. Doing?" Saito asked in a slow, low, and extremely frigid voice. A dangerous dark aura flamed around him, making the room seem colder and darker than it should be.  
  
This sent chills down   
  
"Hmph--I don't need to explain anything to someone like YOU." he replied, yet he felt shivers crawling up his spine.  
  
"Get off her." Saito said, almost like a growl.  
  
"I can do whatever I please---"  
  
"Don't make me repeat myself." Saito said, his eyes narrowed into yellow, piercing slits.  
  
Her fiance glared at Saito with equal animosity. They stood there, glaring at each other for quite some time. Lei turned back to a silent Tokio, his gray eyes colder than metal in winter.  
  
"Looks like we've been interrupted---I'll see you at the wedding, Tokio dear." he whispered, hatred and anger reflected in his eyes. "You better make sure that cousin Saijo of yours finds a new home far, far away from me." he whispered in a low voice.  
  
Tokio swallowed, using all her efforts not to tremble or sob in front of him. She felt his grip let go and he turned away, glaring at Saito who stood there with the light behind, making the wolf-like man into a semi-silhouette.  
  
"Good day to you." the fiance said to Saito.  
  
"And the exact opposite for you." Saito said, silent hatred flowed between the two men.  
  
The fiance snarled and turned away.  
  
"By the way---my name is Saito. Not Saijo," Saito remarked. "You dense-headed low life."  
  
Saito saw the fiance twitch in anger by his insult as he made his way out the house. He turned his eyes back to Tokio, who was still pressed against the wall. She had an emotionless face, yet Saito could see the tear-trails on her face and her eyes rimmed pink.  
  
"Miss. Tokio...?" Saito started, wondering if she was still there.  
  
"... ..." silence was her answer.  
  
Saito took a step forward, trying not showing his worry.  
  
Tokio blinked out of whatever hell she was in, a tear slipping from her eye. She wiped her whole sleeve across her eyes and smoothed her hair, making sure it was still in a bun.   
  
She cleared her throat, still leaning against the wall.  
  
"I thought you were going to catch a fish." Tokio said, as if nothing happened.  
  
"I was, but I was distracted." Saito replied.  
  
"Don't you want dinner? Go get a fish." Tokio said. She wanted Saito to leave, she wanted Saito to be far away from her---so he wouldn't see her cry.  
  
He ignored what she said and asked, "Are you all right?"  
  
"I'm perfectly fine." she answered.  
  
Saito stared at her, a slight frown of doubt on his face. Saito looked at Tokio's legs, even though she was wearing a kimono that went to her ankles. He then looked at her pale face.  
  
"What?" she stared back.  
  
"Walk." Saito commanded.  
  
"Don't tell me what to do." Tokio snapped.  
  
"I'm not moving till you do." Saito remarked stubbornly.  
  
Tokio frowned for a moment then straightened herself against the wall. She raised her head a little. She looked proud---Saito knew she had much pride, yet she had a secret strength that justified her pride.  
  
"Fine, you idiot." she said spitefully. She took a slow, light step forward, her legs shaking. Her lips trembled, clenching her jaw together from the stressful effort to stay upright.   
  
"Be strong, Tokio..." she thought to herself. She took a second step and stumbled forward to the ground, she let out a gasp, not expecting herself to feel so weak.  
  
Saito took a quick, long step forward and Tokio fell against his chest instead of the hard floor. His arms enclosed around her to balance them. He was kneeling on one knee with Tokio's legs slightly and gracefully folded behind her as she leaned against him.   
  
He looked down at her ebony-haired head, seeing her head against his chest, her hands clutching his shoulders for support. He didn't know he was holding his breath. Well, it was just as he predicted--she was still very shaken from what happened.   
  
As he was holding her, he felt that flutter in his chest...what WAS that? He feared he had some wort of medical problem.  
  
Tokio's heart quickened, feeling his strong, comforting arms around her. Her hands were on his shoulders, holding on as if she was going to fall if she let go.   
  
"M-my legs..." Tokio said, blinking.  
  
"You're still weak from what happened. You should go to sleep." Saito suggested, letting out the breath he held in.  
  
"...I'm not weak...I can't---I won't let him...win..." Tokio whispered, her head against his chest, her hands slipped down---almost lifeless. Saito grew worried again. She leaned her head away from his chest and raised her head, looking at Saito who stared down at her.   
  
Their faces were inches away....but that moment was broken when Tokio spoke.  
  
"Do you know what you have done, Mr. Saito? He'll...he'll kill you if you don't be careful---he'll kill you because of what you said and how you treated him!" Tokio glared, her brown eyes piercing his yellow eyes.  
  
Saito stared, expressionless, "I'm not afraid of him---if he comes to me, I'll kill him. Why don't you break off your marriage with him? Actually, you're not even married yet---"  
  
"You don't understand!! Don't you think I tried that before?!" Tokio yelled, the frustration and hatred she held in so long was now let loose. Saito was startled, hearing her yell was rare.   
  
"You tried before?" Saito blinked, wondering why they were still together.  
  
"I wish I never did!!! But now...NOW he'll kill you---you'll die!! Do you think I want you to see you die after going through all I did to keep you as safe as possible?!?" Tokio glared ferociously, her heart heavy as the lump in her throat seemed to strangle her.  
  
"I won't die!" Saito contradicted firmly.  
  
"Yes---yes, you will!!! No one is invulnerable! You'll be killed---and it'll be all my fault---!!" Tokio's voice cracked and her glare melted away, tears spilling from her eyes. Her vision became a blur.   
  
Saito was again, startled and bewildered. Seeing Tokio's tears trail down her face, pure sorrow and utter sadness filled her eyes and each heavy tear. He blinked, looking at her, so many questions filled his head at once.  
  
Tokio continued, trying to control her sobs, "---it will be all MY fault!!! Mine!! Just like everyone I knew!! Everyone else I cared about!!! Dead!! And you'll just be another grave I'll visit, Saito!!"   
  
He noticed that she only called him Saito instead of using the formal Mr.. Saito stared at her, bewildered by the sudden outburst, the sudden knowledge of her unhappiness.   
  
"And you don't understand how much---how much I--I don't want you to die..." Tokio buried her head in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. "No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, I'll never be able to keep anyone I love safe." she said between sobs.   
  
She collasped against his chest, her hands still covering her face and sobs raking through her body. Saito's arms tightened around her as he fell back in a sitting position, Tokio next his legs, her leg sprawled behind her as she cried uncontrollably. Looking at her trembling body, he tried to think.   
  
Tokio seemed like such a strong, independant and unstoppably stubborn, determined woman. And she is---but there was an insecure, hurt and vulnerable side to her that he witnessed that day.   
  
Saito did not know how to react, so he just sat there, his arms around her shoulders as she wept bitterly. Holding her there, like that, Saito felt...a feeling...of...desire. Not sexual desire but desire to make her happy and comfortable as she seemed to be before.   
  
He wondered...why...he didn't want to see her so miserable. He never cared about anyone else's happiness---he looked after his squad's lives and did best to protect them, but that was all---but he wanted Tokio to be both alive and happy...he didn't really understand the change in himself---he didn't understand AT ALL, in fact.   
  
Before he could think more, he noticed that Tokio's sobs quieted and her body became calmer...she was asleep by the way her breathing was quiet, deep, and even.  
  
He picked her carefully, his arm around her shoulders and under her knees. He silently carried her to her room and set her on the bed on the floor. Her head resting comfortably on the pillow, Saito saw tear-trails still on her face. She looked so tired and sorrowful...he looked away, putting the blanket over her, up to her shoulders.  
  
His eyes fell upon her closet, his eyes wandered to the bottom drawer. A flashback entered his head...  
  
~~~Flashback~~~  
  
"I told you many, MANY times, Mr. Saito...be careful." Tokio said, setting some white rice and vegetable on the table.  
  
"I can take care of myself---those men seem to have a little dislike towards me that's all. No need to worry about." Saito said carelessly, picking up his chopsticks.  
  
"A 'little' dislike to you?" Tokio quirked her eyebrow, sitting down and picking up her chopsticks. "They threatened to kill you----in 15 different ways!"   
  
Saito smiled, "This is how I make good, long-life friends."  
  
"You mean enemies." Tokio contradicted.  
  
"Enemies...friends...what's the difference?" Saito shrugged.  
  
Tokio's face faultered. Typical of him to say THAT.  
  
"Well, enough about your way with unsuccessful friendships," Tokio said. Saito quirked his eyebrow at her. "I think if you ever get into any kind of trouble and you need help...you know that I'll be...you know..." Tokio said uneasily, slightly turning red.  
  
"...are you playing some sort of guessing game with me?" Saito asked as he began to eat.  
  
"No," Tokio rolled her eyes, still blushing. "Just know that I can help and...I won't hesitate to....be there..for you...I'll just be there to...help and...you know..." she said quickly and ever-so "eloquently".  
  
Saito stared at her in suspicion, "...are you feeling all right?" he never expected her to say something like that. She looked so nervous, blushing like that...he was smiling inwardly.  
  
"Shut up," Tokio mumbled and stuffed rice in her mouth, looking at the table to avoid his eyes, still blushing red. "Forget what I said---actually remember it, but just--just shut up." still looking down, pretending to be concentrating on eating her food.  
  
She didn't see Saito's smile when he couldn't hold it in anymore.  
  
"Anyway, since you probably won't come to me because your male ego will probably detain you..." Tokio said. "Your sword is in the bottom drawer of my closet. It's wrapped in my beige kimono."  
  
"Ah, that's where you hid it---why did you hide it there?" Saito asked. That wasn't a very secretive hiding place.  
  
"Well...no decent man would go where I keep my..**ahem** ..undergarments." Tokio responded.  
  
Saito turned a slight red, shoveling rice in his mouth, pretending not to care.  
  
"Oh." he simply said, trying his best to get rid of the crimson color across his face. It was too late---Tokio already saw.  
  
She smiled at his embarrassment.   
  
~~~End of Flashback~~~  
  
Saito walked toward the bottom drawer, kneeling down and opening it slowly. He saw the beige kimono and quickly took it out, embarassed to see any other garment of clothing.   
  
Saito closed the drawer and unfurled Tokio's beige kimono. He saw the sword, it was enticing him to pick it up. He held the sheathe in his hand, looking at the hilt down to the tip of the scabbard. This ally that made his life longer than most other men.  
  
He slid the blade out of the sheathe, seeing the metal gleam on the sword's sleek, sharp edge. He touched the edge of the sword with his fingertip lightly. His old friend was as sharp as ever.   
  
Saito's eyes shot to the side, he was one one knee on the floor, he was completely still...he thought he heard something... His body became tense, but relaxed quickly. He would not do well in battle if his body was tense.  
  
Creeeak.  
  
He was right.  
  
It was the sound of an intruder...  
  
  
Please review!!! 


	5. Chapter 5: Betrayal

Chapter 5: Betrayal  
  
Saito spun around, immediately lowering himself in a defensive stance, holding his sword with only his left hand. His right arm was still bound in a sling. His eyes fell upon a figure standing in the doorway. It was obviously male, despite the fact that there was a mask covering half his face.  
  
Saito narrowed his eyes, locking onto the intruder's dark green eyes. The intruder was dressed in an all-black attire. There was a dark green headband tied across his forehead, his green eyes and dark, spiky brown hair were the only things visible.  
  
"Who are you?" Saito demanded, still in his defensive stance.  
  
"... ..." the male just narrowed his eyes.  
  
"That was MY question for you," the male retorted coldly.  
  
Saito felt a suspicious jolt that ran up his spine when he stared at the black clothed male. He certainly did not trust this fellow...Saito swiftly shifted the sword in his hand with easy effort and stood in an offensive stance.  
  
The male, seeing Saito's offensive sword stance, whipped out his own sword.   
  
"I warn you---if you fight me, you shall sure lose your life," the male said in a dangerously low voice. His green eyes narrowed to slits. "Especially in the condition you are in." he gestured to Saito's right arm in the sling.  
  
Saito scoffed, "I? Lose MY life? My condition is nothing---it is you that should be careful of your life."  
  
"My name is Koriyama Mitsuke," the male said after a pause. "Remember that name--for I shall be your maker."  
  
"I don't need to tell you my name," Saito retorted. "A dead man does not need to know my name."  
  
The two men glared at each other, waiting for each other to make the first move...the first mistake...  
  
"No matter what you do--I won't let you hurt Miss. Takahime!!" Mitsuke growled and charged forward with his sword.  
  
Saito blinked. That Koriyama Mitsuke a.k.a. Moronic Intruder...was actually a friend of Tokio's? But before Saito could stop Mitsuke, the young man already lunged toward Saito...  
  
"Wait!" Saito exclaimed, but Mitsuke already slashed his sword toward the Shinsengumi wolf. Saito easily deflected the sword and stepped to the side, only being welcomed by yet another attempted slash from Mitsuke's sword.  
  
Mitsuke snapped his one free arm into the air, ninja stars slid from his sleeve--a hidden attack. Out slid 4 ninja stars, he held all four between his fingers. He threw them all at once toward Saito with acute accuracy.  
  
Saito dodged and deflected the attack. One of the ninja stars were embedded at the end of his sword's hilt, amazingly not hitting his hand.  
  
Mitsuke lunged forward with his sword.  
  
"Stop!!" Saito growled as the two men parried.  
  
"You stop!" Mitsuke growled, putting all his force into the blade as they struggled in a parry. "And stand still so it'll be easier for me to kick your ass!"  
  
"You moron!" Saito glared. "Don't you understand my words?! STOP!"  
  
Saito didn't want to hurt the young man--actually, he DID want to hurt him but he knew he'd had to face Tokio after.  
  
They broke off the parry and then Mitsuke threw his sword toward Saito like a lance. Saito stumbled to the side, the blade barely missing his head. The sword embedded itself in the wall---Saito took a step forward as did the swordless Mitsuke and----  
  
"STOP!" a third voice made both Saito and Mitsuke freeze. "Mitsuke, Saito, stop!"  
  
Saito looked past the ninja boy and saw Tokio standing up from her bed, her hair slightly sticking up and messy.  
  
"What are you doing?!" Tokio stomped over to Mitsuke.  
  
A sweat-drop rolled down Mitsuke's head as he turned away from Saito and faced Tokio. She snatched off the mask that covered Mitsuke's face. Maskless, a young man of 18 years stood before Tokio.  
  
"I'm saving you!" he replied.  
  
Tokio glared, crossing her arms over her chest, "I never asked you to---anyway you're not saving me from anyone!"  
  
"I am to!" Mitsuke glared.  
  
"You are not!" Tokio glared back.  
  
"I am to!"  
  
Mitsuke pointed at Saito, his finger inches away from poking Saito in the eye. Saito frowned, narrowing his eyes.  
  
"What about him?!" Mitsuke asked.  
  
"That's Hajime Saito," Tokio replied, her eyes narrowing at Mitsuke in irritation. "He doesn't work with Lei, you know."  
  
Saito pushed Mitsuke's pointing finger away from his face. Saito glared at the back of Mitsuke's head.  
  
"Moron," Saito growled.  
  
"Gomen, friend," Mitsuke turned around to face Saito, smiling nervously. "I did not realize you were a friend of Tokio's. I thought you worked for Lei."  
  
"Hmph, I TOLD you to stop," Saito narrowed his eyes, looking at his now useless sword. There was a ninja star embedded in the hilt...he threw it in a corner. "And you now owe me a new sword."  
  
Mitsuke smiled, embarrassed, "At least no damage was done---"  
  
Suddenly Tokio grabbed Mitsuke's head from behind, putting Mitsuke in a headlock with her arms. Mitsuke made a gagging sound, his eyes wide from surprise.  
  
"You!" Tokio growled at Mitsuke. "Look at the ninja stars stuck in MY bedroom wall! And a sword! Mitsuke!!!" Tokio held his head tighter.  
  
"I said I was sorry!" Mitsuke exclaimed.  
  
Saito stared at Mitsuke...was THAT the serious guy that he fought just a few minutes ago? He was a fair fighter---however, he seemed to be no match for Tokio...  
  
"You're an idiot! You left for a few months and now when you come back---look what you do!!" Tokio said angrily.  
  
"Sorry!!"  
  
"You always make a mess out of my home! My wall will never be the same!" Tokio glared.  
  
"I'll fix it up!!" Mitsuke exclaimed. "I swear!  
  
"No way! I've seen you TRY to fix things before---You'll just make it worse!"  
  
************************  
  
Tokio, Mitsuke, and Saito sat at the table. Tokio effortlessly, yet gracefully poured tea for all of them.  
  
"Mitsuke, what are you doing back here?" Tokio asked as she set the tea pot down.  
  
"I came back to pay respects to Toshihiro," Mitsuke said in a quiet voice.  
  
Saito saw Tokio's brown eyes look deep into her tea cup.  
  
"...oh," Tokio nodded. "Thank you. You were always his best friend."  
  
"You were always his best sister," Mitsuke said to Tokio.  
  
"I was his only sister." Tokio remarked, smiling at his joke.  
  
"You are getting married next week, " Mitsuke remarked reluctantly.  
  
Saito looked at Tokio, his eyes on her, looking at her intently. Tokio looked at Saito, seeing his hidden-surprised stare. He did not know...until now, that is.   
  
"Yes," Tokio said quietly, her eyes still locked with Saito's. "I am..getting married soon." Tokio averted her eyes away from Saito and onto the small wooden table.  
  
"To Shouko Lei!" Mitsuke spat, hatred in his eyes. "Damn it all!"  
  
"Her fiance..." Saito thought, remembering the blue haired, gray-eyed male. Hate and fury rose in his throat and chest. The muscles in his mouth flexed as he grit his teeth.  
  
Silence.  
  
"Where is your sister?" Tokio asked, attempting to get rid of the silent atmosphere.  
  
"Oh...my sister..." Mitsuke said slowly, looking at the tea in his cup.  
  
"She's...Michiko is in town, getting a room at an Inn," Mitsuke finally responded. "She will protest against your marriage to Lei, Tokio..."  
  
"Don't let her..." Tokio said, closing her eyes as if she was tired. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."  
  
"...Tokio, what happened to Toshihiro...was not your fault." Mitsuke said firmly.  
  
"No, it was. It was all my fault," Tokio said calmly, sipping her tea, her eyes still closed. "He is dead and it was because of me."  
  
"Tokio--" Mitsuke began.  
  
"Enough!" Tokio exclaimed, shutting her eyes tighter, setting down the teacup.   
  
"... ..."  
  
"Excuse me, I apologize..." Tokio murmured, opening her eyes, avoiding their eyes. "I..have to go and change into different clothes." Tokio stood up and quietly left the room.  
  
There was silence between the two men.  
  
"So...Hajime Saito," Mitsuke began slowly, staring intently at Saito. "How do you know Tokio?"  
  
"Didn't she tell you? I'm her cousin." Saito said.  
  
"Don't lie."  
  
"Hmm?" Saito arched his eyebrow. He obviously did not care if he got caught.  
  
"Tokio has no other living relatives." Mitsuke remarked. "And she has no other family ties with the name 'Hajime'."  
  
"I suppose my secret fascade is now found out," Saito said in a monotonous, careless tone. "Oh no...what ever shall I do?" Saito said sarcastically.  
  
"Hmph," Mitsuke glared. "I don't know why Tokio would allow someone like YOU into her home...what WAS she thinking when she accepted you into her home and showed YOU hospitality?"  
  
"Heh," Saito scoffed. "Still angry that you lost against me, hmm?"  
  
"I did not lose!" Mitsuke turned slightly red from anger and embarassment.  
  
"Of course you lost," Saito said simply. "After all, you're inexperienced,--"  
  
"Watch it." Mitsuke glared.  
  
"--quite weak--"  
  
"Hey!" Mitsuke glared harder.  
  
"--especially on technique--"  
  
"Okay! Enough!" Mitsuke clenched his fist.  
  
"Just making sure you know what your mistakes are." Saito smirked.  
  
"Hmph." Mitsuke crossed his arms over his chest. "You weren't so great either."  
  
"Oh? If I was not a skilled fighter...and I defeated you...how does that make YOU look?" Saito asked mockingly.  
  
"Shut up!" Mitsuke glared. "I was being easy on you! I was taught by Toshihiro! And you could never even dream of defeating him!"  
  
"Toshihiro...Tokio's brother?" Saito asked.  
  
"Former elder brother...he died a year ago." Mitsuke said quietly.  
  
"How? Why does Tokio think it's her fault?" Saito asked.  
  
"...Tokio was arranged to marry Lei...but Tokio's parents died of an illness...she was able to break off her marriage..." Mitsuke murmured, setting his tea cup down.  
  
He continued, "Tokio told Lei that she would never marry him. She knew he did horrible things to obtain wealth...Toshihiro could take care of Tokio until she found someone she truly loved..He had a kind heart...her brother made a fair living by teaching martial arts and weaponary...but---" Mitsuke replied, but suddenly the door slid open. There stood Tokio...  
  
Mitsuke quickly shut his mouth.   
  
Tokio stared at the two men, her brown eyes hard. She finshed for the silent Mitsuke.  
  
"---but Toshihiro was in Lei's way of marrying me... Lei eventually poisoned Toshihiro because I refused him. Toshihiro died within a week...the poison was strong, but he held on as long as possible..." Tokio murmured, pain in her voice.  
  
Saito stared her dark eyes, entranced by the seriousness of her face.  
  
Tokio continued, "...now with Toshihiro out of the way, it leaves me as a lone woman... vulnerable, weak, helpless, and need of support. That is what Lei thinks. But I am not weak," Tokio said in a strong, cold voice. "I refuse to be! I promised Toshihiro that I would be strong---and not even Lei can stand against that!"  
  
Tokio sharply turned away and disappeared into the darkness of the hall.  
  
Mitsuke bowed his head down, "...Tokio is certainly no average woman...but she cannot live by herself in misery and she cannot live with Lei...she is doomed...and she knows that. I pray that she will find a new path that does not lead to misery...or suicide." Mitsuke stood up.  
  
"I must take my leave...my sister awaits me." Mitsuke quietly left.  
  
Saito sat there, thinking of everything. He tried to fit all the puzzle pieces to Tokio's life together.  
  
Tokio lived alone. She was the only Takahime left...her brother was murdered by her arranged fiance...Shouko Lei...he threatened to kill those around Tokio to manipulate her...she is to marry Lei...next week...  
  
Why did his chest feel tense and tight when he thought about Lei with Tokio?   
  
Obvious enough---He hated Lei.   
  
He wanted to find out more about this Shouko Lei. More about the village. The only person to ask was...  
  
Tokio.  
  
He stood up and left to find her.  
  
*******************  
  
Tokio carefully took the ninja stars out of her wall. Silently cursing at Mitsuke and his inconsiderate ways...yet he was always a good friend--that was the only reason that kept her from choking him. Tokio forcefully tugged at the sword that was tightly embedded in her wall.   
  
It was stuck. She tugged at it with both hands, it slightly budged, but she knew this would take her quite a while...  
  
She sighed and let go of the hilt, looking at it blankly.   
  
She would be the wife to the devil's helper.   
  
Shouko Lei.  
  
She imagined her wedding...she felt pain, disgust, hatred and fury run through her veins like fire and acid. She pulled the last ninja star out of the wall. She heard Saito's footsteps coming toward her door.   
  
He softly knocked.   
  
Tokio hesitated. She wanted to be alone...to wallow in her sorrow and regret about her faults is all she wanted to do--alone. But...  
  
"Come in." she finally answered.  
  
Saito walked in. Tokio turned around and placed the ninja stars on the floor, but once of them sliced her palm. She sucked in a breath and looked at the blood that trickled out of the thin cut.   
  
"How careless of me!" Tokio mumbled, frowning at the thin cut.  
  
"Let me see it," Saito took Tokio's wrist, holding her wrist gently as he inspected the cut. Tokio slightly blushed, seeing that she and he were close together....he was oblivious to that fact though.  
  
"You'll be fine."   
  
"I didn't need you to tell me that." Tokio said as she went to her closet and tied a strip of white gauze around her palm.   
  
She stared at the sword still stuck in her wall. She took a hold of the hilt and tried to pull it out with her one uninjured hand.  
  
"Let me do it," Saito said. "You'll probably fall if you try to pull it like that."  
  
"I can do it," Tokio said stubbornly. "It's just a bit stuck--ack!" suddenly the blade was let loose and she fell back.  
  
She didn't fall back far though. Her back crashed against Saito's chest. She noticed that her weight was on his broken arm. She quickly spun around, looking at him.   
  
"Your arm--!" Tokio exclaimed. "I'm sorry! Are you okay? Does it hurt?"  
  
"Actually..it doesn't hurt at all." Saito looked at him arm in the sling.   
  
They both blinked. Could his arm had healed that quickly?  
  
****************  
  
Tokio and Saito sat on the floor of her bedroom.  
  
Tokio untied and unwound the gauze from his arm. He looked at her as she concentrated taking the bandages off carefully.   
  
There was something about Tokio that made her different from all the other women he knew only as acquaintances. He quickly looked away when she looked at him.  
  
"Can you move your arm?" she asked.  
  
Saito tried. It felt uncomfortably stiff, but the discomfort ebbed away. It was still tender, but his arm was fine. He nodded his head.  
  
"Amazing! I didn't think you'd heal that quickly," Tokio said. "Let me see the wounds on your back."   
  
Saito let his kimono-shirt hang by his waist as his torso was exposed to her. He didn't mind. Nor did she. Tokio knelt behind Saito, her fingertips brushed over the scabs and even scars. He healed quickly alright...she was happy, but if he was all healed...then he would be able to leave...  
  
Her fingertips touched a large scab that used to a horrible gash.   
  
"You healed quite nicely...all these scabs will turn into scars for sure...some of them already are scars," Tokio's hands brushed across his right shoulder and followed a thin scar that went all the way down to his elbow. "Your broken arm and the wounds on it already healed, too."   
  
Saito felt her warm breath on his arm.   
  
"Good," Saito remarked. He felt that familiar flutter in his chest. Tokio had a very gentle, soft touch despite her strong exterior. "There are no infections?"  
  
"Hmm..." Tokio looked all over his back. "Your back is fine...what about your front torso?" Tokio moved in front of him, inspecting the small scabs on his chest. They looked fine.   
  
She looked at his stomach, then she leaned away and saw his whole chest. She noticed that he had a fine sculptured, lean and muscular torso...she quickly ignored that thought and prayed she wasn't blushing.  
  
"No infections." Tokio said as she looked at him.   
  
"Good," Saito pulled on his shirt. "Then I'll be able to leave soon."  
  
"What?" Tokio blurted out.  
  
"You know...I'll be leaving. We agreed that once I get better---I would have to leave." Saito replied.  
  
"Oh...yes. Yes, I know," Tokio nodded, feeling a pang of disappointment in her chest. "I know..."  
  
"When can I leave for Kyoto, do you think?" Saito asked.  
  
Tokio sat down on her heels as Saito did in front of her.   
  
"I don't know...I'll have to check if you can get a horse or boat there." Tokio replied.  
  
"I suppose you'll be rejoicing once I'm gone--so whenever is the most convenient time, I'll take my leave." Saito remarked.  
  
Tokio nodded, not trusting her voice. She tightened her lips. What was wrong with her? She should be HAPPY that Saito is leaving! But...she wasn't...  
  
"Tell me about Toshihiro." Saito said.  
  
Tokio looked at him, a bit stoic, but the way her lips slightly tightened he could tell she was not going to tell him so easily.  
  
"Please." Saito added.  
  
"He was my elder brother. I loved him because he was my only brother and he acted as my guardian after my parents died," Tokio said quietly. "But he's dead. Enough said." She stood up.  
  
Saito's eyes followed her every movement as she went over to her closet, fingering the edges.  
  
"Lei killed him. That's why you want to kill Lei." Saito remarked.  
  
"Don't make up any simple-minded conclusions," Tokio said coolly. "I want to kill him for more reasons than that."  
  
"Hmph," Saito crossed his arms. "It seems that you just want revenge. Period."   
  
Tokio whirled around, glaring at Saito, "Revenge is a pitiful word. Get out of my room--I want to sleep."  
  
Saito looked at her thoughtfully, wondering what was inside her head. Tokio swallowed under his inspecting stare. He finally stood up and walked out her room. He stopped just when he was out her room.  
  
"Revenge is a pitiful word, you say?" Saito said. "I can't help but conclude that revenge is what you want."  
  
Tokio walked over to Saito and stood in front of him, "I say revenge IS a pitiful word---because I want more than that." Tokio slid the door shut.  
  
Saito frowned. That Tokio...Saito usually got bored around females that didn't fight...but why did Tokio never cease to surprise or amuse him? He shrugged--maybe he was growing insane? He walked back to his room.  
  
Tokio slid under her covers, thinking about Saito.  
  
Why was he so curious about her life? He was going to leave anyway!   
  
Tokio closed her eyes.   
  
Saito...was going to...leave...  
  
"Good," Tokio thought. "I'll finally be rid of his presence!"  
  
Finally he would be gone.  
  
Finally she would be alone again.  
  
Finally...finally...  
  
Tokio bit her lip. She realized...she realized that..that...she didn't want...him to...leave...and..why?  
  
Was it because...she really did..have feelings for Hajime Saito?  
  
......No! Of course not! Why would she? For that inconsiderate, cynical fool! Never!  
  
...never?  
  
Tokio stopped thinking and concentrated only on falling asleep...even is she was in denial about her feelings for Saito, it would be for the best...wouldn't it..?  
  
****************  
  
Mitsuke walked into an Inn. He walked up the stairs and slid open the door. He saw a figure sitting at the small table, drinking tea.  
  
"Nice to see you again, dear boy." said the figure.  
  
"...Lei," Mitsuke mumbled. "Nice room you got me here." he said uncaringly as he slid the door shut.  
  
"Yes, well, I do have connections as you know." Lei said. "Tea?"   
  
"No, I already had some." Lei said, looking at Lei as he sat onto the bed on the floor.  
  
"You visited Tokio's home as I had asked," Lei remarked, sipping his tea. "Good."  
  
Mitsuke nodded.  
  
"What did you find out?" Lei asked.  
  
"She lives with one named Hajime Saito." Mitsuke said reluctantly.  
  
"I already know that."  
  
"He claims to be her cousin." Mitsuke said.  
  
"And?" Lei asked, bored.  
  
"Tokio has no other living relatives. No family ties of the name 'Hajime'," Mitsuke replied. "He is---"  
  
"--a stranger that Tokio accepted into her home." Lei finished, his eyes narrowed.  
  
Mitsuke nodded.  
  
"I think this Hajime Saito character stayed too long," Lei said calmly. "His leave is long overdue."  
  
"... ..." Mitsuke said nothing.  
  
"I think I'll send him a little notice," Lei said, then he snapped his fingers.  
  
The door slid open. There stood three men in black attire. One had spiky hair, another had long sleek hair tied in a horsetail and another had no hair at all.  
  
"Sojo, Mikojo, Hijo," Lei said in a commanding voice. "Visit this Hajime Saito and make sure he knows that he is getting too comfortable."  
  
The three men nodded in unison. They all glanced at each other and smiled, almost mischievously.   
  
"We are happy to send the message," they all remarked, bowed and slid the door shut.  
  
"Who are they?" Mitsuke asked, blinking.  
  
A chilling smile graced Lei's face.  
  
"Not the most pleasant people," Lei replied, sipping his tea. "They are called the Kurokumo Brothers...they are not very well-known."  
  
"Why?" Mitsuke asked.  
  
"Well...no one ever sees them because none live to tell of them." Lei said, casting his chilling gray eyes upon Mitsuke.  
  
Mitsuke swallowed, looking at the floor.  
  
"Thank you for the information---I knew you would be useful." Lei stood up and was about to leave the room.  
  
"Wait! What about my sister---!" Mitsuke exclaimed frantically.  
  
"Is perfectly fine." Lei interrupted. "Just make sure you keep up the good work."  
  
He shut the door, leaving Mitsuke in the room alone. Mitsuke collapsed to the floor, burying his head in his hands in shame.  
  
**************  
  
"Be quiet," Sojo snapped at Hijo.  
  
"Sorry," he grumbled.  
  
"Shut up both of you!" Mikojo snapped.  
  
Hijo stepped on a dead bamboo stalk, making a sharp cracking sound.   
  
Sojo and Mikojo glared at Hijo. The bald-headed man sweat-dropped and mouthed an apology. They were outside the house, yet they were near the wall to Saito's room.  
  
Saito's eyes snapped open, a chill running up his spine. He sat up in bed upon waking up by the sound. His eyes instinctively narrowed. His instincts never betrayed him.  
  
He slipped out of the covers and swiftly, yet quietly went toward Toki's bedroom. His skills as a Shinsengumi leader always were useful during these times. He opened Tokio's door, seeing Tokio sleeping quietly.  
  
He knelt by her, seeing her sleeping so peacefully...  
  
He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, waking her from whatever dream she was in. Tokio's eyes fluttered open, disturbed. She saw Saito. She sleepily looked at him and opened her mouth to question him, but Saito put a finger over her lips.   
  
Tokio immediately put her lips together, staying quiet. Her eyes reflected curiousity as she sat up in bed. Saito leaned forward. Tokio's cheeks were stained pink as he did so. However, he just leaned toward her ear and spoke quietly.  
  
"We have visitors." Saito whispered.  
  
"How do you know?" Tokio whispered back.  
  
Saito tapped his ears, gesturing that he heard them. Tokio was wide awake now. Intruders...most likely sent by none other than Lei! Tokio's eyes narrowed and she looked out her window. Her eyes becoming cold with anger.  
  
Saito cannot use his sword, she thought. But...  
  
She looked at Saito and grabbed his hand, her eyes locked onto his.  
  
"Follow me." she whispered. Still holding onto his hand, they both slipped down the hall and into... her brother's room...  
  
Tokio let go of his hand and opened the large cabinet. Kimonos were hung in there. Saito looked at Tokio's serious, cold face.   
  
"How dare he send his men over to MY home!" Tokio growled in a whisper as she tore down the kimonos and threw them to the floor. "Damn fool---"  
  
Suddenly there was a sound of a sword cutting down the front door. Tokio and Saito whipped their heads to the direction of the sound.   
  
"Hajime Saito! Show yourself!" three male voices said in unison.  
  
"AND they break down the door!" Tokio eyes flamed. Saito was about to go out of the room, but Tokio grabbed his arm.  
  
"Don't leave!" Tokio whispered. Saito looked at her. "Not yet!"  
  
Tokio went back to the cabinet and threw the rest of the kimonos down to the floor.   
  
Then she unlatched something....Tokio removed a thin wooden board and placed it on the ground...Saito blinked. A hiding place..for what? She motioned Saito to come toward her.   
  
Saito looked in the cabinet and...  
  
His eyes widened upon seeing various swords, daggers, and ninja stars. His eyes also fell upon a bow and arrows, two short swords, two sickles and even an oogama! An oogama is a long pole with a curved blade at one end---a scythe. Everything was neatly held against the real wooden wall.  
  
It was a hidden weaponary haven within a closet...he looked at Tokio, surprised.   
  
"Hurry and choose your weapon!" Tokio whispered.  
  
He smiled at her for a second, then reached over and took a sword in a leathery scabbard with the Japanese phrase encarved on it: Seiginonanioite   
  
"Hajime Saito! Come out, you coward!!" Mikojo yelled. Another door was cut down.  
  
"Coward?!" Saito thought angrily, his eyes narrowed.  
  
Saito turned away and walked toward the door. Suddenly an unknown force grasped Tokio as she saw Saito walk away to battle. She rushed over and wrapped her arms around Saito's waist, embracing him. Her forehead to his back, her eyes shut tight...time froze still.  
  
Saito's eyes were slightly wide from being held back and being held by Tokio...he looked toward at her hands that were on his stomach, her fingers entwined together.   
  
"Don't you die!" Tokio whispered harshly, but her voice quickly softened. "That's my father's sword you're holding...I want it back from you--YOU better give it back to me. I won't accept it from anyone else. So don't..die.."   
  
"... ..." Saito looked at her hands clasped around him and on his stomach. His hand wandered over and rested upon her two entwined hands. Tokio's eyes opened, feeling his warm hand over hers.  
  
"Whether you want me to die or not," Saito said. "I'm going to live---and may even keep this sword."  
  
Tokio stayed silent, holding him tighter.  
  
"Mr. Saito---" Tokio began, but was interrupted.   
  
The door to Toshihiro's room was cut down into three pieces. There stood three men with three swords, the darkness giving meaning to their sinister faces. Saito broke out of Tokio's embrace, almost reluctantly, and unsheathed the sword, holding the sword as he glared at the three assassins.  
  
"Ah, Hajime Saito," said the sleek haired male Mikojo. "A pleasure to meet you." he smiled as his sword gleamed dangerously.  
  
"I can't say the same to any of you." Saito retorted.  
  
"No need to be cold," said the bald-headed Hijo as he smiled, almost kindly.  
  
"Your body will be cold enough when we get through with you," said the spiky-haired Sojo, a smirk upon his face.  
  
The three brothers stood in stances that made them look all in sync.   
  
Saito smiled coolly as he stood in his own stance. The Gotetsu. He was almost excited, finally able to fight once again.  
  
Tokio looked at the three familiar assassins...she knew them well...she immediately feared for Saito's life.  
  
"Hijo! Sojo! Mikojo!" Tokio took a step forward. "Please! Don't!"  
  
"Takahime Tokio!" they all smiled.   
  
"Didn't see you there!" Mikojo smiled.  
  
"By the way, we'll have to kill this guy." Sojo added casually.  
  
"Sorry about the mess we may make," Hijo smiled and bowed, but quickly went back to his stance.  
  
Saito arched his eyebrow--what kind of assassins were these? Polite as they were, he knew they were dangerous by their auras, but they still had the decency to be polite...they obviously must have been insane.  
  
Tokio looked at Saito and then at the three assassins, then at Saito again, their eyes locked onto each other.   
  
"No, not Saito..." Tokio murmured as she looked at the assassins. Her eyes glistening with tears, painful memories filling her soul. "Don't do this, Mikojo...I beg of you...not again..." she pleaded desperately.  
  
"Again?" Saito thought.   
  
"Prepare to feel out blades!" they all charged forward.  
  
Saito readied himself and was about to go forward until...  
  
Tokio felt pure instinct grab hold of her.  
  
"No!" Tokio yelled, moving herself in front of Saito, her arms spread wide as if to protect him. She didn't know what she was thinking...she could have at least gotten a weapon to put up SOME resistance...but she acted upon her impulse.  
  
"Tokio!!" Saito gasped.  
  
The three assassins just smiled, not stopping their unison attack.  
  
"No obstacle will ever withstand ground," they all said in unison. "before the Kurokumo Brothers!!"  
  
Tokio took in a breath and shut her eyes tightly, knowing she would receive the slicing pain of her death, yet she refused to move her ground...  
  
**I will try to put the next chapter up as soon as possible! Sorry this chapter took so long---and sorry it sucks! Gomen! Oh---and I do promise you all that at least 4 people will die in the next chapter! ^_^; Sorry if it's too morbid, but the story must go on!** 


	6. Chapter 6: Broken Glass, Broken Friendsh...

From a previous review I received from a few reviewer, I realized that I DID put Saito's name backwards--stupid me. Hajime is his FIRST name. Sorry to you all that I've made that silly mistake---I apologize. And thank you to the reviewers that informed me! I'll change my mistake, but Tokio will still call Saito by his last name--I'll change that later on.  
  
  
Chapter 6: Broken Glass, Broken Friendship  
  
Tokio shut her eyes tightly, clenching her jaw together. Her arms spread wide, "protecting" Saito. Who has the sword and who doesn't? Being absolutely WEAPONLESS, she felt like a completely reckless, stupidly impulsive...   
  
"IDIOT! I'm-such-an-idiot-idiot-idiot!!" Tokio thought quickly, waiting for the inevitable pain, inevitable death. She knew the Kurokumo Brothers would not stop their attack whether she was in the way or not.  
  
The Kurokumo Brothers still charged forward. If they killed Tokio...Lei would get a little angry...rather very, very, flaming angry...oh well.   
  
Saito stared wide-eyed at the back of Tokio. What the hell was she thinking?!  
  
"Dark Clouds Sankakkei!!" the brothers exclaimed. Mikojo slashed his sword upward vertically. Sojo slashed his sword diagonally upward toward the right and Hijo slashed his sword diagonally upward toward the left.   
  
The moonlight gleamed upon their swords, distinctly showing the silver-like triangular attack.  
  
Tokio felt an arm enclose around her waist and she was forcefully pulled back. She could practically feel the power of the blades, inches from her face. Sojo's sword cut Tokio's moderately long, brown, right kimono sleeve into two halves, luckily not cutting her arm clean off.  
  
She staggered back from being pulled back, still being held by Saito's right arm as he held his sword with his left. Saito was in a defensive stance, holding his sword steadly in his left hand and holding Tokio in his right arm just as tightly.   
  
Tokio stared at the cold mask upon Saito's face. He held her so tightly that she could hardly breathe..yet at the moment, she didn't really mind...  
  
With Saito's arm securely tight around her waist, and her hand tightly clutched on his right shoulder and one on her chest, her heart beating abnormally fast, the brothers stared at them. She was pressed against Saito as he protected her and prevented her meeting with death.  
  
"Are you all right?" Saito asked in a quiet tone, almost business-like.  
  
"... ..." Tokio found it hard to speak, her mouth dry. She nodded her head stiffly.  
  
"Ah, ah, ah!" Mikojo wagged a finger at Saito mockingly. "If Shouko Lei saw you holding his bride-to-be like that..."  
  
"He's most certainly will---" Hijo said.  
  
"--torture and kill you." Sojo finished with a wicked smile.  
  
Saito glared at the brothers with sharp ferocity, "I thought this fight only involved me."  
  
"Those who THROW themselves into battle..." Mikojo said.  
  
"...Are most certainly involved..." Hijo said.  
  
"...And will get the same treatment!" Sojo finished, his smile sinister and dark.  
  
Saito snapped his head away and looked at Tokio, his eyes sharp, "Stay out of the way!"   
  
Tokio snapped out of her stunned state and glared, her brown eyes just as hard, "Don't count on that!"   
  
Saito clenched his jaw. Why did she have to be so damn stubborn?! Saito let go of Tokio as he turned his attention back to the three brothers.   
  
"Don't get in the way." Saito growled to Tokio, not looking at her.   
  
Tokio stepped back deeper into the darkness of the room...  
  
"Good," Saito thought with relief. "...she'll be safer back there." he saw the three brothers glancing at each other, silently moving their mouths.   
  
Saito glared suspiciously. They obviously were planning something. The three brothers nodded at the same time and looked at the wolf warrior.  
  
"Okay, Hajime Saito," Mikojo started with a smile. "You seem like a fair fighter."  
  
"I didn't even swing my sword to attack yet." Saito remarked.  
  
"Well, we have a way of telling," Hijo remarked. "Especially by the way you hold your sword---with your left hand. And that stance of yours... It's very peculiar...Either you are highly-skilled or---"  
  
"--you're a jackass that doesn't know how to hold a sword correctly." Sojo finished curtly.  
  
"Soooo... since we don't know who you really are...and the Kurokumo Brothers are not reckless..." Mikojo said slowly.   
  
"Get to the point." Saito snapped.  
  
"Hasty hasty! I never knew anyone wanting to die so quickly!" Sojo chuckled.  
  
"You can choose one of us to fight," Mikojo responded.  
  
"Anyone of us," Hijo said.  
  
"We're gracious enough to let you fight ONE of us instead of us attacking you all at once." Sojo said.  
  
Saito frowned in thought. Were they up to something? To fight just one of them instead of all three of them at once sounded much more convenient...however...  
  
"I'd rather fight all of you at once," Saito said, rejecting their offer coolly. "It's less time-consuming."  
  
The brothers glared.  
  
"We don't appreciate impolite opponents." they all said in unison.  
  
"We tried to be fair," Hijo murmured, lowering himself into his stance on the right hand side.  
  
"But if you want to play THAT way," Mikojo set himself into his stance, being the middle counterpart.  
  
"Then you can die that way!" Sojo growled, immediately shifting himself into his stance on the left hand side.  
  
Saito readied himself into his Gotetsu stance again, preparing himself for their unison attacks.  
  
(Okay, blah blah blah...I don't want to bore you readers with long paragraphs of fighting material. ^_^ so please read on)  
  
After the clashing and parrying of swords, Saito Hajime and the Kurokumo Brothers stood at a distance. Saito lowered himself back into his Gotetsu stance despite his weary state. Fighting all three had been more tiring than he thought. They were more skilled than he expected.  
  
The Brothers thought the same about Saito--they never did quite know a man as skilled as he...  
  
"You're a stubborn fellow," Mikojo murmured, looking at Saito. "Quite stubborn..."  
  
"It's a quality that I'm grateful possess," Saito retorted. He controlled his breathing, refusing to show his exhaustion.   
  
Sojo coughed a bit violently. He wiped his sleeve over his mouth quickly. Hijo turned his attention to Sojo.  
  
"Something the matter?" Hijo asked.  
  
"No." Sojo answered quickly.  
  
Saito looked at Sojo's sleeve, noticing it was stained red. Obviously by blood. Saito then looked at his sword, seeing it also tainted red with blood...Mikojo followed Saito's eyes. Saito and Mikojo locked eyes for a moment, having the same thought: Saito scored with his sword.  
  
Saito smirked, Mikojo frowned.  
  
"Sojo!" Mikojo barked.  
  
Sojo slightly jumped from surprise and winced at the same time, his hand flew to his left side, just below his rib cage. Sojo moved his eyes to his brother who stood in the middle.   
  
"Did you get hit?" Mikojo asked.  
  
"...not really." Sojo mumbled. He was clutching his left side, his black kimono soaked with his blood.  
  
Mikojo and Hijo glanced at each other and nodded.   
  
"Sojo, go to the side. The only death we want to see is Saito Hajime's tonight," the two brothers said. "it would be a waste to put any effort against HIM. We can take care of him without you this time."  
  
Sojo frowned, slightly pouting. He hesitated.  
  
"Go, little brother!" Mikojo commanded sharply.   
  
Sojo slowly slid his sword back into its scabbard, all the while he glared furiously at Saito.   
  
"Lucky hit." Sojo growled at the wolf-like man.  
  
Saito just smirked, that made Sojo's rage grow all the more. He stepped away, moving away from his brothers and leaned against the wooden wall.  
  
"That's our little brother that you got there," Mikojo glared at Saito, his eyes sharper. "now you'll have to answer to Hijo and I."  
  
"We are the twins---we shared the same womb. You have no chance on defeating the both of us." Hijo said in a lower voice, clearly upset with Saito's hit upon Sojo.  
  
"Now!" Mikojo readied to lunge forward. "Prepare yourself!" Hijo and Mikojo, who stood shoulder to shoulder, dived forward to execute their twin attack.  
  
"Kusairisuishou*!" they exclaimed and then with smooth, swift flicks and snaps of their wrists, their swords seemed to unite as one to make a barrier of slashes. If the silver-like barrier of slashes touched Saito, he would be cut down to ribbons.  
  
*Kusairisuishou- blades of grass*  
  
Saito backed away as the two brothers walked forward, their sword attack protecting them from any thrust attack.   
  
Saito tried to concentrate. How could he break through a barrier of slashes within the limitations of the room? But before he could think of a solution something whizzed past his ear and collided with Mikojo's sword, making it veer off rhythm. Mikojo distractedly stepped back, the barrier of slashes broke when Hijo stopped as well.   
  
Saito saw a shuriken, a ninja star, on the floor before Mikojo. Saito looked over his shoulder and saw Tokio a distance behind him, near the closet of weapons. In her right hand, she held a shuriken. In her left, she held four more between her fingers.   
  
Her eyes were focused and her face serious...she was very ready to throw one after another.  
  
"Two against one is unfair, don't you think, Mikojo?" Tokio asked coldly. "So I thought I'd make it even."  
  
Mikojo glared at the young woman.  
  
"Miss. Tokio," Saito narrowed his eyes. "Don't get involved." he said in a low, warning tone. Saito thought Tokio would stay out of this fight....he was, of course, wrong. She was just bidding her time until she was needed.  
  
"Too late." she snapped.  
  
Seeing Saito distracted, Mikojo and Hijo stepped forward and attacked. Saito deflected Hijo's attack and a shuriken, sent by Tokio, accurately flew toward Hijo's skull. Mikojo deflected the shuriken with his sword, saving Hijo, and then thrusted his sword toward Saito.  
  
"You call that a thrust attack?" Saito asked as he dodged his attack and stood in his Gotetsu stance, quickly thrusting his sword at Mikojo, his sword just about to connect with his chest until...  
  
Hijo slammed his sword down onto Saito's, saving Mikojo from being stabbed. Saito cursed and backed away, standing in his stance yet again. Those brothers were protecting each other...how could Saito get one, when the other is defending?  
  
"Look for a flaw, Mr. Saito!" Tokio exclaimed. Saito slightly looked over his shoulder, glancing at her. She stared at him intently...she was trying to tell him something...she KNEW something...  
  
She saw a weakness...but she couldn't inform Saito for if she did, the brothers would also know and they would be extra prudent...and that would make things all the more difficult.  
  
Of course, there had..to be a weakness...a flaw...  
  
"THINK!" Tokio said through clenched teeth, raising her right arm, holding a shuriken between her fingers, ready to back him up. His eyes wandered to her cut sleeve.  
  
He let the twins' attacks replay in his head...they used the same hand to attack. The right hand. That didn't matter. They stepped forward with their right foot. That didn't matter...wait...what about their left...  
  
Then it hit Saito, making his eyes slightly widen with acknowledgement. He whipped his head back to the brothers who looked at Saito and Tokio with suspicion.  
  
Saito smirked at the brothers, lowering himself into his stance deeper. He saw what Tokio knew.  
  
Their left side was completely defenseless without Sojo! Mikojo was in the middle, able to use any foot, however, he used his right foot to step forward. Hijo guarded the right side, Sojo guarded the left, that is why Sojo's sword cut Tokio's right sleeve!  
  
"Come," Saito beckoned them mockingly. "You haven't killed me yet."  
  
Hijo gave Mikojo a cautious 'That-guy-knows-something' look.  
  
Mikojo glanced back and gave Hijo a careless 'That-guy-is-an-idiot-so-let's-fight' look.  
  
The brothers shot their eyes toward Saito and charged forward to execute their next attack, but before they could, Saito dove forward, rolled forward on the ground. The brothers, confused, slightly halted, but it was too late.   
  
Saito somersaulted forward on the ground, slashing Mikojo's unprotected side open. Saito's sword ran crimson red as it cut through Mikojo's stomach and side. Mikojo's eyes widened in disbelief before he fell back from the attack, collapsing backward onto the floor, his blood spilled across the wooden floor.   
  
"... ..." Mikojo stared at one of the bamboo bird cages that Toshihiro made...he smiled. He helped make those beautiful cages...Then Mikojo's sword rolled lifelessly out of his hand.  
  
"BROTHER!!!" Sojo yelled out painfully. "NO!!"  
  
Hijo saw this with utter disbelief upon his face, but it soon melted away and was replaced with utter rage, utter pain, utter fury. Hijo let out a roar and raised his sword above his head, acting on pure instinct to kill Saito.   
  
Saito, kneeling on one knee, narrowed his eyes at Hijo and sprung upward, his sword entering Hijo's chest and then protruded from his back. Saito held the hilt of his sword firmly in his hand, as if holding on for his life.  
  
Hijo's sword dropped from his hands, almost being supported with Saito's sword in his chest. His sword clattered to the floor with a hollow echo...  
  
"...how..careless of...me...," Hijo croaked, looking at his wolf-like killer. "...what...an inter..esting....battle..."   
  
"..yeah." Saito murmured tonelessly, feeling his sword slightly vibrate...it was as if Hijo's heart was still beating with Saito's sword through it.  
  
Hijo grinned slightly, it was a kind of smile of a person that was not a sore loser...he then went limp and slid off the edge of Saito's sword. He lay on the wooden floor, face foward to the floor at Saito's feet.  
  
Saito slowly glanced at Tokio, she stood there...silent...still. Tokio stared at the two dead bodies on her floor. Suddenly she snapped her right hand upward, her eyes sharp again.   
  
She threw the shuriken she held in her hand, it flew past Saito's shoulder and then...it hit its target. Sojo.  
  
Saito turned around and saw Sojo's sword fall to the ground. Sojo was close by Saito--he was about to do a back attack...  
  
Sojo soon followed his fallen sword, collapsing on his knees, clutching his left side. The shuriken was embedded within Sojo's shoulder, right by his heart...  
  
"You're not dead...My aim was off," Tokio said coolly. "I meant to strike your heart."  
  
"Tokio..." Sojo raised his eyes, seeing Tokio walked forward. She stood next to Saito, looking down at him.  
  
"You're...just like your...brother...skilled...talented..." Sojo murmured, his voice filled with pain. His vision blurred, black blotches screwed up his vision. A sure sign of coming death.  
  
"Don't you speak of him," Tokio said coldly. "After all, you, Mikojo, and Hijo killed his fiancee. You---you---" Tokio grabbed the hilt of Saito's sword and pulled the sword out of his hand forcefully. Saito looked at her as she pointed the tip toward Sojo.  
  
"--You deserve to die!" Tokio hissed. "And not only die---but in pain! In torment!! In regret!!!"  
  
Sojo just smiled softly, his face looking almost boy-like, "..you've changed...I..never thought..I'd...hear you say..something like..that...."  
  
"Shut up! I'm not the only one that changed! You killed her! She--she never did anything against you! Or your brothers! Or even Lei!" Tokio yelled, taking a step closer, the tip touching his neck now.  
  
"Tokio," Saito grabbed Tokio's wrist firmly to keep her from killing Sojo. "He's half-dead--"  
  
"Yes, but not completely!" Tokio snapped maliciously. "You don't know what kind of things he and his brothers had done!"  
  
Sojo let out a soft chuckle. This added to Tokio's fury.  
  
"You dare to laugh?" Tokio asked in a low voice, the sword shaking in her hands, restraining herself from killing him.  
  
"I..just..remembered...when you..Mitsuke...and I...used to get...into so much..trouble..we..laughed all..the time..." Sojo said softly, closing his eyes as if to replay the memories in his head.  
  
Saito looked at Tokio. She killed...one of her childhood friends..?  
  
Tokio narrowed her eyes and said in an icy tone, "Those days are nothing now. Just as our friendship is nothing...was nothing...if you were ever my friend...you wouldn't have done--"  
  
Sojo cut her off, "..you no longer...have...any..friends now...you know.." Sojo coughed, his breathing growing thinner and more uneven.  
  
"Mitsuke is still faithful," Tokio remarked coldly. "unlike you or your brothers!"  
  
Sojo softly laughed, coughing at the same time. He let out a soft, pain-filled groan, clutching his side.  
  
"No," Sojo said. "He is not."  
  
Saito felt Tokio's hands twitch.   
  
"As my last tribute to you as a friend, Tokio..." Sojo looked at her, his fathomless eyes locked onto hers. "I tell you...that..you no longer..have any...allies..within...this village..."  
  
"You were never my friend." Tokio snapped, but her voice cracked.  
  
"... ..." Sojo looked at her, his face expressionless. "..I was...but...those days...those days..." he trailed off, closing his eyes. Tokio dropped the sword, tore her wrist out of Saito's grip and knelt on the ground.  
  
Sojo fell forward, collapsing on Tokio. Tokio had her arms enclosed around his shoulders as if he were her little brother. His spiky-haired head rested on her shoulder.   
  
"...are..gone..." Sojo finished, murmuring the words into her shoulder. "...I really miss those..days...you..know..."  
  
Tokio bit her lip to keep them from trembling.  
  
"..you should...leave..here...forever...just like...how me and..Satomi...wanted...to......" he trailed off, unable to speak now. Tokio felt something hot seep through her kimono...his tears.  
  
Tokio blinked away a few tears, holding him tightly. Hearing his breathing fade away...his body became still. She let his body lay on the ground, his lifeless, hollow dark blue eyes looked at the ceiling. She reached over and closed his eyes and stood up, looking at the still, lifeless bodies of her former childhood friends...  
  
Saito glanced at Tokio. She looked extremely pale. She looked at Saito and opened her mouth to speak, but she slightly swayed where she stood.  
  
"Miss. Tokio---" Saito started.  
  
"I..have to clean this mess up," Tokio mumbled, looked around the bloody room. "..I should..dig them in the yard..proper burial..at least."   
  
But then she closed her eyes and fainted. Saito caught her, her body leaning against his from falling. He knew that would happen. She wasn't used to the smell of blood this strong--but Saito was, of course.   
  
Saito carried Tokio to her room once again, setting her onto her bed and covering her up. He didn't feel tired at all. The adrenaline still was in his veins.  
  
The moon was still in the sky...he would have plenty of time to dig graves for his assassins. He wouldn't be able to sleep anytime soon and he needed to think.   
  
He set off to Toshihiro's room, contemplating.  
  
*****************************  
  
Lei waited, sipping his tea as he did some paperwork. His fine handwriting graced the scroll as his brush fluidly swished along the paper.  
  
"Miyame," Lei called.  
  
A pretty maid came in, bowing deeply, "Yes, sir?"  
  
"Has the Kurokumo Brothers come back yet?" Lei asked, not taking his eyes off the scroll, continuing to write. "Any word from them?"  
  
"No, sir." Miyame murmured.  
  
"Hmm." Lei frowned.  
  
"Something the matter, sir? Shall I send someone---?" she started.  
  
"No," Lei said simply.   
  
"...okay, sir." Miyame murmured softly, disappointed.  
  
"No need to send someone to fetch dead bodies. Quite useless, don't you think?" Lei asked casually as he set his brush down. Lei's mouth slightly tightened. He felt a flower of pure hate bloom within him as he thought of Saito Hajime...how he wanted to see him dead. Utterly lifeless...  
  
"..e-e-excuse me, s-sir?" Miyame asked, raising her head. She felt a jolt run up her spine, seeming to almost crack it in half.  
  
"They're dead." Lei repeated, sipping his tea.   
  
"A-all of them..?" Miyame stammered hopelessly.  
  
"Most likely." he replied.  
  
"H-how do you k-know, sir?" Miyame asked, her voice shook.  
  
"They would have been back by now---oh, please get me some more tea, Miyame. I just ran out. I have a lot more paperwork to do." Lei said, picking up his brush as he set down his empty cup.  
  
Miyame pressed her fingers to her lips, but that didn't muffle her dispairing gasp. Her greenish-brown eyes growing wider by the second.  
  
Miyame fell to the floor on her knees, sitting down on her heels, her eyes wide, not blinking. Silent tears slid down her cheeks. Lei looked at her, waved his hand before her face a few time. She did not blink.   
  
"Toboshi," Lei called casually, as he went back to his writing.  
  
A large, muscular man entered and bowed deeply, "Yes, sir?"  
  
"Carry Miyame back to her room. She had quite a nasty shock." Lei waved his hand at the stunned, silent woman on the floor.  
  
"Yes, sir. May I ask what happened, sir? Shall I get the doctor?" Toboshi picked her up and carried her petite form over his right shoulder.  
  
"Hirazaki Mikojo is dead," he replied. "Just give her some strong tea. I'm sure she'll snap out of it by tomorrow...unless she lost her mind. And ask someone to bring me more tea."  
  
Toboshi nodded and walked out with Miayme, who was now a widow.  
  
"Oh! And, Toboshi," Lei said. Toboshi looked over his left shoulder. "Tell Nadesuki that Hirazaki Hijo is dead as well. And...one more thing, send Koriyama Mitsuke to me. I have a job for him..."  
  
"Yes, sir." Toboshi murmured.   
  
He was upset that he had to tell Nadesuki about her husband's death. He didn't know WHAT to do when she'd burst out crying or such...but she was a gentle woman, maybe she wouldn't cry openly.  
  
2 widows in the same night...Toboshi shook his head. Actually, 3 widows...Lei did not know that Hirazaki Sojo recently got married to Torikama Satomi.  
  
*************************************  
  
Saito placed the last grave marker upon Sojo's grave. It was a small bamboo shoot. The bamboo will grow someday...and that will be their markings.  
  
He looked at the three graves before him. How many graves did Tokio make? He thought aimlessly. Why wouldn't she just leave if she had no one else to protect?   
  
There was that friend Mitsuke...but Sojo had said that Mitsuke was disloyal...  
  
Saito felt like he was being watched...   
  
He turned around and saw Tokio standing by the doorway. He relaxed. She looked at bit dazed, as if she woke up from a deep, long sleep.  
  
She slowly walked toward the graves. She stood next to Saito, looking down at the freshly dug graves.  
  
"...you buried them for me," she murmured. "...Thank you."  
  
"Well, you seem in no condition to do so yourself," Saito remarked. "You'd probably fall in one of the graves from exhaustion."  
  
"...and maybe I'd stay there." she thought.  
  
They stood there in silence.  
  
"I found a boat that's leaving for Kyoto...the ferry is in the next town though." Tokio said, breaking the silence  
  
"When will it leave?" Saito asked.  
  
"In five days."  
  
"Is the town far from here?" Saito asked.  
  
"You'll need to go on horseback," Tokio said. "The streets are dangerous...but from what I've seen, you can handle yourself well."  
  
Saito glanced her from the corner of his eyes, "I can say the same to you."  
  
"...I can't leave though." Tokio murmured, staring at Hijo's grave, remembering when he used to swing her around in his arms when she was a child...she laughed so much then...it seemed centuries ago.  
  
"Why?" Saito asked tonelessly, not wanting to show any sort of emotion to distract Tokio. "You have no one else to protect. Mitsuke is disloyal, isn't he?"  
  
"I'm not too sure."  
  
"Too sure?" Saito arched his eyebrow.  
  
"... ..." Tokio looked down at Sojo's grave.  
  
"I'm..tired of being double-crossed...I'm praying that Mitsuke is not betraying me." Tokio said quietly.  
  
"Praying won't do anything," Saito said, a bit sharply.  
  
"...I know," Tokio murmured.  
  
Silence again.  
  
"I..." Tokio started.  
  
Saito glanced at her again, seeing the soft moonlight gleam on her hair. The night he first saw her replayed in his head automatically.  
  
"I..wonder what it's like in Kyoto...I heard its beautiful...but I also heard so much fighting has been going on." Tokio remarked.  
  
"Well, comparing THIS place to Kyoto, I can say that Kyoto seems like heaven to me." Saito said.  
  
Tokio smiled, but it slowly disappeared.  
  
"...you want to leave that much, hmm?" Tokio asked, she felt a pit grow in her stomach.  
  
"I can't say the town gave me a pleasant experience," Saito grumbled, remembering in town when everyone gave him suspicious stares. He had to be on guard where ever he went. "those people can go to Hell for all I care." he said bluntly.  
  
"...And I guess I made it worse?" Tokio asked, half-jokingly. She forced herself to make that small smile.   
  
"... ..." Saito stood quiet.  
  
Tokio knew his answer was "yes". She had been so sarcastic and reserved at the beginning...he most likely detested her---  
  
"..no. Not really," Saito answered to her surprise. Tokio glanced at him. "...I suppose you made this whole situation more bearable." he was still not looking at her.  
  
Tokio turned her face back forward again as she blushed pink, happy that it was night so he wouldn't see her cheeks glowing reddish-pink.  
  
"But...I thought I made you uncomfortable..." Tokio said slowly.  
  
"Uncomfortable?" Saito scoffed. "I didn't have time to feel 'uncomfortable' with you. You always snapped up some sarcastic remark before I could think about something else...I guess I gotten used to you after a while."  
  
Tokio hid her smile, "Well, you always seemed to have a retort ready to snap back at me anyway. I felt obliged to return the favor."   
  
"Will Shouko send anymore men after me?" Saito asked carelessly.  
  
"...not for a while. The Kurokumo Brothers were one of his best assassins." Tokio replied.   
  
"...but they were my very best childhood friends..." she thought sadly.  
  
"Good," Saito remarked. "I'm thirsty from the fighting and digging. Do you want tea?" he asked casually.  
  
Tokio blinked at Saito's sudden change. Well...she wasn't THAT surprised. He was turned hot and cold sometimes. She nodded and followed him back into the house.   
  
"I really am going to miss him..." she thought, looking at the back of Saito's head. She looked down.   
  
No point in falling in...love...  
  
She wasn't quite used to that word...yet...it sounded...nice...  
  
****************  
  
Tokio sat at the table, muffling a yawn with her hand. She watched Saito pour the tea.   
  
"Here." Saito handed her a cup. Tokio reached over and her hand brushed over his. Saito felt that consistant flutter in his chest again. But there was a problem...it just wasn't a flutter anymore...  
  
It began just as an uplifted flutter in his chest...but now it turned to being a wave of warmth...Saito became very curious what it was and how it was being caused..Was it Tokio's doing? Was it her that gave him this...this inexplicable feeling of..of tranquility and of longing? His eyes wandered over to her.  
  
Tokio held the cup in her hand, her fingers touching his. She gently pulled the cup toward her, but he didn't let go... She blinked and looked at him, finding him staring at her. Her eyes locked onto his golden yellow eyes.  
  
They entralled her, mesmermized her...just as his eyes captivated her when she had found him that fateful day three weeks ago...  
  
Though she slightly blushed, she felt her whole body turning warm. She tried to tear her eyes away, but they refused to. She tried to speak, but her voice could not leave her throat.  
  
For some reason...Saito felt a---a link between himself and Takahime Tokio. Was it just of friendship...or something...something that exceeded that..? This thought made him snap out of his thoughts. He accidentally let go of the cup with a slight jolt.  
  
Tokio wasn't holding onto the cup as tightly at the moment either. The cup fell to table, breaking into several pieces, the hot tea splattered across the dark wood.  
  
"Sorry," Saito apologized quickly.  
  
"N-no, it's my fault," Tokio protested.  
  
They both reached across the table to pick up the broken pieces. Saito went for the largest broken piece, which happened to be the one Tokio also went for. Coincidentally, their fingers touched yet again. Tokio hesitated, not knowing what to do...Saito having the same problem, also hesitated. They glanced at each other again, as if for advice.  
  
Tokio couldn't will herself to let go of the broken piece, but before she could think anymore, she felt Saito let go of the piece. For some reason...she felt a wave of disappointment, but that quickly dissolved like water into steam when his hand softly, almost shyly or hesitantly, came upon hers. She instantly blushed a pinkish hue.  
  
Tokio froze, looking at Saito's hand on top of hers. The broken piece of glass was let loose from her hand. Was this a dream? Tokio looked back to Saito, their eyes locked once again No! It couldn't be a dream...she felt his hand on hers...the warmth...the feeling of complete---  
  
"Tokio?!" a worried, frantic voice broke through the atmosphere. The front door was cut down, so it was quite unneeded to knock politely.  
  
The moment shattered away, just as the glass had. Saito and Tokio quickly pulled their hands away, Saito looked toward the wall and Tokio looked at her lap, blushing a brilliant red. She composed herself as best she could and quickly got up to greet...  
  
"Mitsuke! What are you doing here so late?" Tokio asked as he came into the room. "You look horrible...did something happen?"  
  
Mitsuke looked awfully pale, "I...I heard some men came."  
  
"Yes," Tokio nodded solemnly. "Hirazaki Mikojo, Hijo, and Sojo."  
  
Mitsuke's eyes widened, "R-really? It was them?"   
  
Tokio nodded silently. Mitsuke remembered seeing three males instructed by Lei...he had forgotten all about Sojo, his childhood friend! He looked so much more different...so much more older than he was...  
  
"Are they..dead?" Mitsuke asked quietly.  
  
Tokio nodded again.   
  
"They tried to..kill..." Mitsuke trailed off.  
  
Tokio nodded.  
  
Saito narrowed his eyes. How did Mitsuke know that Tokio and he were attacked...? Lei sent the assassins....and the only way Mitsuke would know is if---  
  
"Tokio!" Saito got up swiftly. "Get away from him!!"  
  
"What..?" Tokio turned around, looking at Saito who stood up and took a rushed step toward her.  
  
Tokio did not see the sleek dagger that Mitsuke slid out from his sleeve...  
  
"STOP!" Mitsuke yelled at Saito, grabbed Tokio around her arms and locking his arm around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides. Tokio's back was pressed against Mitsuke's chest.   
  
Saito stopped to a complete halt as Mitsuke pressed the blade to Tokio's throat. Tokio became very stiff and tense.  
  
"Stay still!" Mitsuke said to Saito. "Or I'll be forced to kill her."   
  
Tokio's eyes widened all the more.  
  
"...Mitsuke?" Tokio's voice was soft with disbelief and hurt.   
  
"... ..." Mitsuke didn't answer her.  
  
"Mitsuke?...why?" Tokio's eyes reflected pain and sadness as she felt the cold, sharp edge threatening to slit her throat...what hurt the most was that the blade was being held by her last, 'trusted' childhood friend...  
  
Saito grit his jaws together, his hands curling into fists.  
  
"Traitor." Saito growled, his eyes narrowing at Mitsuke.  
  
"I have to do this, Tokio," Mitsuke said quietly, his voice filled with regret. He slightly pulled the blade away from her neck, but still held it close by. The glare coming from Saitou's eyes gave Mitsuke chills, possibly nightmares as well.  
  
"Now the two of you," Mitsuke said with an instructing voice. He stepped backwards, Tokio forced to follow his movements. "Just do as you're told...please...for god's sake, please..."  
  
"The two of us..?" Tokio blinked, looking at Saito. Saito followed Mitsuke with slow steps.  
  
"Shouko wants to see Saito, too." Mitsuke said, then looked at Saito. "Will you come now or will you have to be forced later?"  
  
"No!! No, that isn't fair! Don't involve him---!!" Tokio exclaimed, almost frantically.  
  
"I'll come now." Saito replied, his eyes still sharp and dangerous. He wanted to go at the same time as Tokio.  
  
"Mr. Saito...no...please get away...please run..." Tokio said pleadingly. She knew that Lei would kill him...why wouldn't he? He probably knew that Saito was not her cousin.   
  
"This way," Mitsuke pulled back, Tokio following like a puppet, her eyes were locked onto Saito's. She slightly shook her head, wordlessly pleading for Saito not to come. Saito still continued to walk, following Mitsuke's every movement cautiously. He would not leave her. He refused to.  
  
Tokio wanted him to run, to leave, to never ever come back. She realized now that she would rather live in complete hellish misery with Lei than see Saito die in torture...  
  
"We'll have a ride to take us back." Mitsuke said as they went out the front door.  
  
As if on cue, a carriage led by four horses pulled up in front of the house. A man, who dressed in black and wore a mask, got out of the carriage. Mitsuke let go of Tokio as the man tightly bound Tokio's hands behind her back, the ropes cutting into her wrists. Tokio grit her teeth from yelping.  
  
Mitsuke hesitantly walked toward Saito, seeing him glare dangerously.   
  
"What should we do with him?" Mitsuke asked.  
  
"Tie him up first, you idiot." snapped the man as he tied the ropes around Tokio's wrists in a double knot.  
  
Mitsuke quickly tied the ropes around Saito's hands as tightly as possible. He did triple knots just to be absolutely secure.  
  
"Mitsuke!" the man looked at Mitsuke and did some sort of signal with his fist.   
  
"Please forgive me..." Mitsuke murmured as he drew out the dagger he threatened to kill Tokio with.  
  
"Mitsuke, NO!" Tokio yelled. Suddenly Saito felt a cracking, sharp pain in the back of his head...he stumbled forward and came down on one knee, fighing to stay conscious...  
  
"Saito!!!" Tokio screamed with worry and was about to rush over, but the male grabbed Tokio's bound hands and pulled her back forcefully.  
  
The world went black as Saito collapsed onto the ground, close by Tokio.  
  
"Why did you do that?!" Tokio asked, outraged. Her sharp eyes pierced Mitsuke's soul. He looked away from her. "You knew he would come willingly!! Why?! Why did you do that to him?!"  
  
"Do what?" the man asked with innocent mock. "You mean this?" he took a dagger as well and hit Tokio in the back of the head with its iron hilt. Mitsuke shut his eyes when he heard a surprised, pained gasp escape from Tokio's lips.  
  
Dark spots blinded her as pain filled her head. She strugged to stand upright, but soon collasped forward. She fell by Saito, pain coaxing her into unconsciousness.  
  
** Phew........that was a loooooong chapter, I'm sorry if I bored you all by it ^_^; I'll try to post up the next chapter as soon as possible. Please review! ** 


	7. Chapter 7: Loss

By the title of this chapter, what can you guess? ^_~ hope you enjoy the story! Please read on!  
  
  
Chapter 7: Loss  
  
"Tokio..."   
  
Tokio lay admist the thick darkness of her unconsciousness...she heard someone calling her name but...  
  
"I don't want to wake up...I want to stay here forever..." Tokio thought, trying to block out the caller's voice.  
  
"...wake up...oh, please, wake up, Tokio..."   
  
"...I lost everything...Mitsuke is no longer a friend..I am now at Lei's mercy...great. Just great..." Tokio REALLY wanted to stay wherever she was until... "..wait...what happened to Hajime?" she almost forgot the Saito was also taken prisoner...  
  
...what if he was dying at this very moment!??  
  
Tokio jolted awake, sitting up in bed, "Hajime!" she called out his name in concern.   
  
A sharp pain attacked her head. She fell back onto the futon, her head throbbing madly. She shut her eyees in pain and her hand flew to her head, clutching the side of her head painfully. White gauze was tied around her head because of the wound she received on the back of her head.  
  
"Tokio, you're awake!" a woman exclaimed, relieved.  
  
"Hmm..?" Tokio cracked open her eyes, seeing it was...  
  
...Tokio's eyes widened, ignoring the pain for a moment.  
  
"Wha--what are you doing here...?" Tokio murmured as she looked at the woman "How...?"  
  
  
  
Saito opened his eyes a notch, his neck sticky with dirt, sweat and maybe even his blood. He was sitting against a wall, his body feeling 100 pounds more.  
  
He raised his eyes up at the ceiling, seeing it spin uncontrollably in all directions. He shut eyes tightly, feeling the dizziness swallow his senses.  
  
He tried to put his hand to his head but...he tried to raise his arm again. He opened his eyes, looked down and saw that his arms were chained together. His feet were, too...  
  
He instantly remembered what happened...Mitsuke was the traitor that turned him and Tokio in...Saito clenched his teeth together in animosity, but that made his head pains worse. Saito looked around the cold, moldy room.  
  
"How inviting," Saito mumbled to himself as he frowned. He instantly knew he was 'welcome'.   
  
The chains were heavy and tightly bound his wrists and ankles together. What could he do?  
  
Escape was the first thought, obviously. But, of course, since he was the guest...he would have to meet the host soon...  
  
As if on cue, the door slid open. Through the shadows a man walked in. Well-dressed and handsome, a man walked in. The blue hair...steel gray eyes...he was none other than---  
  
"Lei," Saito glared. "You've got a strange way of treating people as your guest." Saito gestured to his chained hands and feet.  
  
"Thank you. And hello, to you too. I say, you don't have manners yourself, Saito," Lei glared back. "..now..is Saito Hajime your real name? Or is that name as fake as your identity you kept here?"  
  
"That's my real name," Saito replied. "I'm not related to Tokio---so who informed you about my false identity? Koriyama Mitsuke?"  
  
"Of course---he was the very last friend to Tokio. I knew he would be quite useful as a spy." Lei responded.  
  
Saito's eyes narrowed. Mitsuke the Traitor----Saito swore that Mitsuke would pay dearly.  
  
"That's Tokio's weakness...her trust in others," Lei remarked, his eyes distant. "..when will she learn..?"  
  
"Where is Tokio?" Saito asked after the moment's silence.  
  
"You don't have to worry about her. She's in good hands," Lei answered, then slightly smiled. "You should really worry about yourself."  
  
"Oh?" Saito asked, not having a care in his tone.  
  
"Let me ask you just once," Lei said. "And for your own sake, do answer quickly. Are you at all..attached..to Tokio?"  
  
"What do you mean by 'attached'?" Saito asked, slighty narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Are you attracted to Tokio?" Lei asked bluntly.  
  
Saito arched his eyebrow at Lei.  
  
"Admit it," Lei said casually as he crossed his arms. "You lived with Tokio for a month or more...don't you find her personality as well as her visage attractive?"  
  
Visions of Tokio flashed through Saito's mind. When she smiled...to when she laughed...to when she snapped a witty retort at him...  
  
Saito snapped out of his reviere and looked at Lei.  
  
"She's quite lovely, don't you agree?" Lei asked, his hard gray eyes on Saito.  
  
A certain memory flashed through his head once more...  
  
...when Tokio's hand touched his...the tea glass broke...their hands touched once more...Saito felt that..that feeling in his chest that he could not ignore...  
  
Saito's jaw twitched. He averted his eyes away from Lei and looked at his chained hands. He did not answer Lei. He refused to.  
  
"I don't think that really is any of your business." Saito raised his eyes up at Lei. Saito slightly smirked when Lei's lips grew tight with impatience and aggravation.  
  
Lei closed his eyes, "I knew you wouldn't answer. Maybe you don't even want to know the answer."  
  
Saito blinked.  
  
"I'll see you later, Mr. Saito," Lei said. "Maybe then you'll answer my question---but you should have an incentive..."  
  
Saito's eyes narrowed when another male entered the room...he held a thin iron bar...  
  
"I warned you to answer quickly," Lei said and turned his back to Saito. "Yobou, don't kill him..yet." he said to the large man. Lei left the room.   
  
Saito looked at the large male.  
  
"Me name Yobou." the man said unintelligently, smiling a half-toothless smile at Saito.  
  
"Pleasure to meet you." Saito said sarcastically, looking at the iron bar Yobou held.  
  
Yobou walked toward Saito, "Me have to get answer out o' you."  
  
Saito clenched his teeth together defiantly. Lei's question replayed in his head.  
  
~"Are you attracted to Tokio?"~  
  
"...am I?" Saito wondered in his thoughts as Yobou's shadow loomed over him. Yobou brandished his iron rod.  
  
Saito realized that the Answer to that Question scared him more than the beating he would receive from Yobou.   
  
The first blow came down on Saito's shoulder, his thoughts shattered away as the pain engulfed his body as the blows continued to come down on him.  
  
  
  
A woman with dark brown hair and emerald green eyes sat before Tokio. Tokio forced herself to sit up.  
  
"Michiko...what are you doing here?" Tokio asked.  
  
Koriyama Michiko...she was Mitsuke's elder sister.  
  
"I was about to ask you that same question!" Michiko said.  
  
"Lei." Tokio replied.  
  
"Oh." Michiko nodded in complete understanding. That vile name explained all that was needed to say.  
  
"You?" Tokio asked.  
  
"Lei also brought me here..." Michiko looked at the ground. Silent tears slid down her cheeks. Suddenly, as if she couldn't control herself any longer, sobs escaped her mouth as she burst out in a fit of tears and sobbing. She covered her face with her hands as she continued to cry, muffling her sobs as best she could.  
  
Tokio looked at Michiko sadly. She never saw Michiko like this before...pale and horribly thin...crying and unhappy...she was such a gentle and cheerful woman...but now...her hair was a mess and her eyes drowned in tears.   
  
"I know Lei won't kill you," Tokio said to Michiko, hoping she would stop crying. Seeing Michiko was, Tokio was tempted to do so herself...  
  
"I don't care about MY life!" Michiko said through her tears-torn sobs. "My daughter...and Mitsuke! And now you're here, too! It's all MY fault you're all here!"   
  
"...what?" Tokio blinked. "Explain!"  
  
"L-Lei...kidnapped m-me from my home...Lei told M-Mitsuke that he'd kill me and my d-daughter if Mitsuke didn't help him..." Michiko explained, her voice quivering from sobs.  
  
Tokio's eyes widened.  
  
"...please forgive Mitsuke...he betrayed you for me...and my daughter." Michiko murmured sadly. The thought of her daughter caused tears to form in Michiko's eyes.  
  
"Y-you have daughter?" Tokio was shocked.  
  
"I married a year ago," Michiko sniffed. "My husband is waiting for us in Kobe...I hope he's all right..."  
  
"I involved so many lives before...now..now Michiko and Mitsuke...and even Michiko's family!!" Tokio thought bitterly. "It's MY fault--not Michiko's."   
  
Tokio, already in a sitting position, bowed. She bowed so low that her forehead touched the floor.  
  
"..Tokio?" Michiko looked at Tokio's low bow.  
  
"Please forgive me...for all the pain I caused you...it's all my fault." Tokio murmured, her face still toward the ground.   
  
Michiko never saw Tokio like this before...was this Tokio the tomboy? Was this Tokio, the one that beat up every boy who dared to challenge or taunt her?  
  
"...Tokio," Michiko put her hands on Tokio's shoulders and urged her up to face her. "It's NOT your fault."  
  
Tokio avoided to look at Michiko.   
  
"Everything is my fault," Tokio murmured. "You and your family...and even Hajime..."  
  
"Hajime? Who is he?" Michiko asked curiously.  
  
"Saito Hajime was also imprisoned...because of me..." tears threatened to spill from her eyes.  
  
"Listen to me! It is NOT your fault! It never was! Now," Michiko wiped Tokio's tears away with her sleeve.   
  
"Is he your husband?" Michiko asked, her eyes twinkling.  
  
"W-who?! H-Hajime!?" Tokio blushed a brilliant red.  
  
"Yes...is HE your husband or boyfriend?" Michiko asked curiously as she wiped the remains of Tokio's tears away.  
  
"NO!!" Tokio exclaimed.  
  
"Oh," Michiko looked slightly upset. "I was hoping he was..."  
  
"He's--he's just a friend." Tokio remarked, still glowing red from embarrassment.  
  
"Hmm..." Michiko arched her eyebrow at Tokio.  
  
"Let me do your hair! It's messy," Tokio said quickly, trying to change the subject. Michiko turned her back to Tokio, still sitting down.  
  
"Okay, but I shall do your hair after. Oh, and please let me see your hair-sticks." Michiko requested.  
  
Tokio pulled out her two simple-looking cherrywood hair-sticks. She handed them to her friend.   
  
Michiko looked at them, "Your mother's hair-sticks..." the cherrywood etched with a design of a phoenix.  
  
Tokio grabbed a comb from an adjacent table. She pulled out Michiko's mahogany hair-sticks and placed them on the ground. She combed Michiko's dark brown hair.  
  
"Yes. I took them from her hair after she died in her sleep...I pray that I, too, will die quickly and painlessly..." Tokio murmured unintentionally.  
  
"Don't say that!" Michiko said sharply.  
  
"...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that aloud." Tokio said.  
  
"You're going to live a long life," Michiko assured. She placed the cherrywood hair-sticks on the floor next to her own mahogany hair-sticks. "I'm sure you will, Tokio!"  
  
"..with Lei...a long life with Lei..." Tokio thought as she carefully twisted Michiko's hair into a bun.   
  
Still lost in thought, Tokio picked up the two hair-sticks from the floor and stuck them into Michiko hair.  
  
"...I rather die." Tokio finished her thought.   
  
  
  
Saito grit his teeth together when Yobou kicked him in the stomach. Saito fell onto his side, slightly curling into a ball, trying to catched his breath.  
  
"You make no sounds! You brave! You die bravely!" Yobou said, almost with admiration.  
  
"Than..ks." Saito grumbled sardonically, still trying to catch his breath.  
  
"You hurt?" Yobou asked.  
  
Bruised and bleeding, Saito tried to sit up straight, but collapsed on his side from pain and fatigue.   
  
"I take that as 'yes'!" Yobou said.  
  
Yobou reached down and grabbed Saito by the neck. Yobou lifted him up into a standing position, Saito struggled to breath.  
  
"Will you give answer?" Yobou asked.  
  
Saito's vision began to blur. If he didn't give a simple answer, he would die...  
  
"N..o..."   
  
"Say again?" Yobou asked.  
  
"Grr..No!" Saito choked out, glaring. *What a moron. I'm going to be killed by a MORON.*, he thought. Saito tried to reached up and grab Yobou's arms, but the chains were too heavy for his beaten state now...he tried to kick up, but the chains pulled him down.  
  
"You no give answer, you no live." Yobou said simply.  
  
Yobou's grip on Saito's throat tightened.  
  
Saito cursed. Was he...going to die?  
  
  
  
Michiko silently combed Tokio's ebony black hair as she sat behind her. The soft, silky strands of black hair slid through the bristles of the comb smoothly.  
  
"Tokio," Michiko broke the silence. "tell me about this Saito Hajime character...how did you get to know him?" she asked curiously.  
  
"I helped him when he was seriously injured. He stayed with me for a few weeks while his wounds healed." Tokio answered.  
  
"I see...and..he is just your friend?" she asked.  
  
"...of course, he's my friend." Tokio said.  
  
"..JUST your friend? Nothing more?" Michiko asked, almost slyly.  
  
"...are you implying something?" Tokio asked.  
  
"Well, I was just wondering if, well...if you were attracted to this fellow." Michiko murmured.  
  
Tokio blushed red, happy her back was to Michiko and protested, "M-me? Attracted to Hajime? No!!"  
  
"Hmmm..." silent doubt  
  
"Michiko, oh, really..." Tokio mumbled.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just that I find it curious that...well...this Saito Hajime stayed with you for a few weeks...and I never knew anyone that could make you blush like that," Michiko said. "AND you called out his name in your sleep---what kind of dream were you having?" she asked slyly.  
  
Tokio glowed a brighter red. Michiko thought Tokio was fantasizing about Saito...  
  
She quickly protested, "I wasn't dreaming about THAT!!"  
  
Michiko giggled and said, "Truth be told, I think you are at LEAST a little attracted to this man...but you're such a stubborn woman," Michiko sighed as if she were her mother.   
  
Michiko twisted Tokio's hair up and placed the hair-sticks in her hair, lost in her thought, "There you go, Tokio."  
  
"My friendship with Mr. Saito is just simple. We are SIMPLY friends," Tokio said flatly. "What else could it be? And if I was interested in him, wouldn't I KNOW?"  
  
"Well...maybe you're in denial." Michiko remarked softly.  
  
Tokio blinked.   
  
Was she...?   
  
  
  
Saito struggled to breath while Yobou was quite entertained...  
  
"You very stubborn!" Yobou laughed, amused. He lifted Saito off the ground, his feet dangling a few inches from the ground.  
  
His lungs were burning for air, his muscles were cramped from struggling, his body fatigued with wounds...a flash of words entered his mind.   
  
~ "...But now...NOW he'll kill you---you'll die!! Do you think I want you to see you die after going through all I did to keep you as safe as possible?!?" ~  
  
"Tokio's words..." Saito thought as he slowly stopped struggling, his body too tired. More words entered his head.  
  
~ "---it will be all MY fault!!! Mine!! Just like everyone I knew!! Everyone else I cared about!!! Dead!! And you'll just be another grave I'll visit, Saito!!" ~  
  
"Everyone else I cared about?" Saito replayed that sentence in his head. "...she cares about..me?"  
  
Yobou noticed that Saito slowly became more still.  
  
~ "And you don't understand how much---how much I--I don't want you to die..." ~  
  
Slowly, Saito stopped breathing completely...he stopped struggling.  
  
~ "No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, I'll never be able to keep anyone I love safe." ~   
  
Saito's eyes snapped open, Yobou was taken aback by this.   
  
"You still alive?" Yobou blinked, his grip slightly loosening.  
  
"I can't die...if I do...she'll never forgive me...and when I see her in another life--she'll kill me for sure," Saito thought, feeling strength fill his body as well as his spirit. "I won't be the one to die today!"  
  
Saito reached up and grabbed Yobou's thick arm with his chained hands. He then swung his chained feet into Yobou's torso forcefully.   
  
Yobou dropped Saito onto the ground and fell back like a fallen tree. Saito fell to the ground with a thud. Yobou fell to the ground with a crash. Saito gasped in air heavily.   
  
Yobou pushed himself off the ground, his eyes glowing angrily.  
  
Saito mentally cursed when he saw Yobou's furious look. Saito really did it this time...  
  
"You. Die." Yobou stood up, his shadow loomed over Saito once more.   
  
Saito glared, his yellow eyes glowing in the shadow's darkness. Yobou took a step forward then---  
  
The door slid open forcefully, a cold draft blew in. Yobou spun around. Yobou opened his mouth but then...  
  
Saito couldn't see, only hear. Saito heard a a dull *thunk*! Yobou staggered back. Then Saito heard the sharp whistle of a sword.  
  
Yobou fell to the ground, backwards. His head rolled close by Saito's feet. Saito looked at Yobou's headless body. There was a shuriken embedded in his chest.   
  
Saito raised his eyes, seeing a figure cloaked in black. Saito saw the dark green eyes---he knew who it was.  
  
Mitsuke pulled down his mask as he rushed toward Saito and cut off Saito's chains around his hands.   
  
Saito curled his hand in a fist and---  
  
WHAM  
  
Mitsuke fell back, clutching his cheek, "OW!!!!"  
  
"That's what you deserve, you dirty, lying----" Saito started, glaring.  
  
"I know I deserve those words, which I will gladly interrupt, but you have to understand that I..I never wanted to hurt you or Tokio..." Mitsuke said, looking down at the ground shamefully.  
  
Saito knew Mitsuke was sincere, but...  
  
"Why did you aid Lei in the first place?" Saito asked.  
  
"I had to help Lei because he is keeping my sister prisoner...If I didn't help him, he'd kill my sister and her daughter..." Mitsuke replied as he cut off the chains around Saito's feet.  
  
Saito rubbed his wrists and ankles then stood up, having a hard time keeping steady. His bruised, bleeding body was not cooperating with him.  
  
"I wish you came earlier, you moron." Saito mumbled.  
  
"Sorry. But there was traffic getting here," Mitsuke replied. Saito arched his eyebrow at Mitsuke's excuse. "Hey, the town can get pretty busy during dusk." Mitsuke remarked.  
  
"Why are you helping me?" Saito asked, narrowing his eyes. Mitsuke was still knelt down on the floor, wiping the blood off his blade.  
  
"...I couldn't live with myself...Tokio was my friend ever since we were in diapers! ...I couldn't bring myself to let her marry Lei," Mitsuke replied in a soft, yet firm voice. "I'd be happier if she got married to someone like you or----"  
  
"WHAT?" Saito blinked.  
  
"What about what?" Mitsuke looked at him.  
  
"You'd rather have Tokio marry who?" Saito asked.  
  
"You," Mitsuke said simply, standing up. He slightly kicked Yobou's head away from his feet. "You DO like her, don't you?"  
  
Mitsuke saw Saito staring at him with a pensive stare.  
  
"Eh...enough with personal questions," Mitsuke said quickly as he stood up. "You have to help get Tokio, my sister and my niece OUT of here!"   
  
"After what you put me through---I don't really feel quite forgiving enough to help you at all." Saito glared.  
  
"Okay, FINE. Don't help ME--help Tokio! And at least my sister and her daughter...please..." Mitsuke said, his eyes full of pleading.  
  
Saito hesitated for a moment, "Why are you asking for my help? Why not one of your ninja-idiot friends?"  
  
"I don't want to involve them---and I know their skills cannot match yours. You beat the Kurokumo Brothers---the only known person to do that is Toshihiro...if your skills match Toshihiro's, YOU are the only one to defeat Lei." Mitsuke said firmly.  
  
Saito frowned in silence.  
  
"Look...you're a pretty difficult..(and cold-hearted, might I add)..guy to deal with, but...do you really not care about Tokio? Do you want to see her married to HIM?" Mitsuke asked.  
  
Saito thought for a few seconds. He then took the sword out of Mitsuke's hand.  
  
"I'll be borrowing this," Saito said as he forced himself off the wall. He walked numbly to the door. His muscles screamed in pain, but he went on. "I doubt I'll be giving you back your sword in one piece though."  
  
Mitsuke smiled, both relieved and happy. Though he was a bit upset...he really did like that sword...  
  
"Why are you just standing there and smiling like a complete moron?! Hurry up!" Saito snapped, stepping over the headless body and exited the room.  
  
"Alright!" Mitsuke silently cheered. "Hey! Wait! I'll lead the way!"  
  
  
  
"I'm not in denial," Tokio thought as she watched Michiko sleep. She must have been exhausted after all that crying. "I'm just simply not in love with Saito. I can't be."  
  
...a tugging feeling pulled at her heart.   
  
"No, I can't possibly be in love in Saito Hajime! No way in Hell!" Tokio crossed her arms, almost defiantly as she looked out the window.  
  
...the feeling grew more tense in her chest.  
  
"He's an idiot! And not only an idiot! A cynical, cruel, cold-hearted, ungrateful fool!" Tokio thought with finality, yet...her words felt so weak.   
  
*And perhaps...I am a fool as well...* Tokio closed her eyes.  
  
Suddenly the door slid open. Tokio slightly jumped from surprise. A guard walked in. Suddenly Michiko sat up in bed, pale.   
  
"Here's your dinners, ladies." the guard said, looking at the two attractive women. He set the tray down.  
  
"Where is my daughter? Is she all right?" Michiko asked, her eyes full of pleading.  
  
"None of your business!" he snapped.  
  
Michiko shrank away, looking down. Tokio felt a rage build in her chest.  
  
The guard turned away to leave but....  
  
As if on instinct, Tokio jumped onto the man's back. Tokio first put her arm around his neck and one hand clamped on his mouth. Th man muffled a surprised yell.  
  
Tokio shut her eyes, sorry what she had to do but this was her only chance of escape...  
  
The man was about to fall back to purposely crush Tokio but...  
  
Tokio let go of his mouth and grabbed his head. One hand around his neck, the other one his head...  
  
"You %ITCH---!" the guard growled spitefully.   
  
...Tokio twisted forcefully and a sickening *crack!* was made...  
  
The man fell to the floor, his body limp and Tokio rolled on the ground.  
  
"Wha--what---what did you do?" Michiko asked quietly, her eyes wide. She already knew but...  
  
"I...He...He's dead," Tokio murmured, she stood up and grabbed Michiko's hand. She pulled the shaken woman to her feet.  
  
"Y-you...broke..his neck..." Michiko's eyes widened as she looked at the dead body.  
  
"You want your daughter back, don't you?" Tokio asked.  
  
"...yes...Yes!" Michiko's eyes grew focused and strong just like Tokio's.  
  
"Let's hurry, we'll find your daughter and get out of here!" Tokio pulled Michiko toward the door and the two women carefully and quietly escaped the bedroom.  
  
"Hajime...wherever you are---you better come out alive!!" Tokio thought, clenching her teeth as concern struck her heart.  
  
  
  
Saito slit the guard's throat, the man did not even have the time to utter a word.  
  
"Great!" Mitsuke whispered. "Kill silently!! Lei kept Michiko and Tokio in a bedroom! Come! We are close by!!"  
  
The two swordsmen ran down the hall, Saito has quite a hard time, the bruises were throbbing and his body was asking for rest...but he refused to stop. Not until he found Tokio.   
  
Suddenly Mitsuke stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
"That..that was Michiko and Tokio's bedroom!!" Mitsuke saw that the door was open...he got worried. Mitsuke ran ahead of Saito and peered into the bedroom.  
  
It was empty!  
  
Saito looked in the bedroom, seeing a guard dead on the floor.  
  
"They escaped." Saito remarked.  
  
"They're probably after Iyane!!" Mitsuke whispered with urgency. "This way!!!"   
  
  
  
Tokio and Michiko ran past open bedroom doors.  
  
"So many rooms!" Michiko murmured helplessly. "This is like a mansion..." she became hopeless.  
  
"We'll find your daughter! Don't worry!!" Tokio exclaimed.  
  
Michiko gasped...the two women stopped.  
  
...Tokio and Michiko encountered two separate halls...  
  
Tokio looked at both hallways with distress...which way to go?  
  
"Tokio, I will take the left hallway, you shall take the right!" Michiko exclaimed.  
  
"What?" Tokio looked at her.  
  
"We have to split up." Michiko replied firmly.  
  
"I won't leave you by yourself!" Tokio protested. "You don't know how to fight!"  
  
"For my daughter," Michiko's eyes shined with determination. "I will fight by instinct! I do contain the blood of my clan---don't worry for me. Worry for my daughter!!"  
  
Tokio hesitantly nodded.  
  
"If you do not find her, get out of the mansion without me!!" Michiko ran down the left hallway, disappearing in the shadows. "And if you do find her--please get her out and don't look for me!"  
  
"We'll both get out of here." Tokio thought.  
  
Tokio prayed for Michiko and ran down the right hall.  
  
  
  
After minutes of silent sprinting, Mitsuke and Saito stopped.   
  
"This is the hallway to Iyane's bedroom! It is well-protected," Mitsuke warned. Mitsuke peered down the hall, seeing no one...   
  
"All right! Tamatori's bedroom in just down the hall!! Hurry!" Mitsuke went down the hall.  
  
Saito's muscles were screaming for him to rest but...  
  
"I must find Tokio." Saito thought, narrowing his eyes in determination, urging his body a little more strength.  
  
Saito heard Mitsuke gasp in happiness.  
  
"Look!!!" Mitsuke pointed to a woman that was running down the hall toward them. She came from the opposite side! She was quite a distance away....the hall went very far down.  
  
"It must be Michiko! Or Tokio!" Mitsuke whispered, his green eyes gleamed with relief and happiness. Mitsuke waved his arm in the air.  
  
Saito saw figure slide open the door, the light gleamed on the woman's feminine figure, hair and her cherrywood hairsticks...she rushed into the room.  
  
Cherrywood hairsticks!  
  
"Tokio!" Saito's eyes widened. He and Mitsuke made a quick walk down.   
  
Saito's spirits lifted above greatest heights---he had found Tokio!   
  
"...give me...child...! ...now!" Saito heard a little what the woman demanded for.  
  
There were sounds of struggling...  
  
Suddenly a gunshot echoed through the halls from the room...   
  
Mitsuke and Saito stopped, wide-eyed, their mouths slightly open...  
  
Just as the woman came in, the woman staggered out the room. Everything seemed to turned to slow motion...  
  
Gracefully, she fell to the floor, her hair undoing itself...she fell to the ground on her side with a soft sound, blood spilled from her wound and tainted the wooden floor  
  
Saito looked at the woman on the ground, his eyes wide and his breath quick and ragged from utter shock. His eyes locked onto the motionless figure, her long dark hair seemed to have spilled across her lifeless body and the long dark strands mixed in with the blood.  
  
The cherrywood hairsticks of Tokio's mother rolled for her let-loose hair and at Saito's feet.  
  
"TOKIO!" Saito exclaimed, pain filling every cell of his body and stinging every emotion Saito possessed within his body and soul...  
  
  
**YES, that IS a cliffhanger! =P I've got to stop there...such a painful loss of death, isn't it? Did you guys like it? ^^ Sorry if it sort of bored you...I had to go into detail! Oh---and yes. Please watch out for the next chapter! I will write it A.S.A.P. Just please review!! Thank you for reading!** 


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